I thought I would do a little ‘refresher’ for those who are just getting into regular online ‘mischief’ and who haven’t heard about simple ways of managing loooooong URLs.
The problem: Long Web addresses (URLs) are difficult to remember and say, and become broken when sent by email.
The solution: Use an online tool that shortens the long address to overcome these problems.
How does DigBig work?
Three simple steps:
- You paste a Web address into the DigBig box and click the button
- DigBig converts it into a much shorter version
- You copy the new short address and use it instead of the long one
When someone visits the short address, DigBig converts it back to the original one, and sends the visitor to that original Web page.
TinyURL does the same job, and also allows you to add TinyURL to your IE browser toolbar – if you want.
judyoconnell.com 
Another TinyURL alternative: xaddr.com . It works with ftp and email addresses as well as web addresses. All links go via a landing page so you can preview the destination before deciding if you really want to go there. And there is a Windows client that lets you shorten URLs in the clipboard direct from your desktop.