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= About Shortlinking =
= About shortlinking =


== General Information ==
== General information ==
Shortlinks are short URLs which redirect to a longer URL. Shortlinks are easier to remember and type then a long URL. URL shortening services emerged several years ago with [http://tinyurl.com tinyurl.com]. Nowadays other sites such as [http://bit.ly bit.ly] are more popular. More information about the topic can be found in [[wikipedia:URL shortening|Wikipedia's URL Shortening article]].


An example shortlink would be as follows:
Shortlinks are short website addresses that redirect to longer ones. They're easier to remember and type than a long URL. More information can be found in [[wikipedia:URL shortening|Wikipedia's URL Shortening article]].


    http://freegle.it/Central -> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FreegleUK-Central
Note: within a wiki article, shortlinks aren't clickable, but they will work when typed into a browser bar without http:// or www. - that's part of what makes them short.


= Freegle Shortlinking =
An example shortlink:


Shortlinking is used quite a bit within Freegle.
  freegle.in/croydon  which redirects to  https://www.ilovefreegle.org/explore/Croydon-Freegle


== Why Shortlink ==
== Shortlinks for communities ==


Using shortlinks is useful for a Freegle mod in a number of ways.
The basic format for community shortlinks is freegle.in/groupid, where groupid is the form of the community's name used on its Explore page. But there are variations, for instance:
* freegle.in/lancasterMorecambe
* freegle.in/Lancaster
* freegle.in/morecambe


'''First''', it is practical to use shortlinks when publishing the website address for your local Freegle group on pamphlets, business cards, bumper stickers, posters, etc. A potential new member will much more easily remember a shortlink then the longer Yahoo group URL.
and nicknames:
* freegle.in/toon


    http://freegle.in/Ambridge -> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ambridge-BorchesterFreegle
The list of current shortlinks is here: https://www.ilovefreegle.org/shortlinks


Additionally, the shortlink is easier to type and faster to write down for someone taking note. As noted below, Freegle.in shortlinks are centrally provided for all Freegle groups.
Shortlinks are provided centrally for all Freegle communities. Changes or additions can be requested by emailing [mailto:shortlinks@iLoveFreegle.org shortlinks@iLoveFreegle.org]


'''Second''', shortlinks are by definition, short. Thus they are useful for displaying graphics and linking to other pages in the Yahoo group description for your home page. For instance:
== Why shortlink ==


    http://frgl.it/d1 -> http://freegle.it/images/disclaimer/FreegleDisclaimer-v1-Border.png
'''First''', it's practical to use shortlinks when publishing a local Freegle community's website address on pamphlets, business cards, bumper stickers, posters and so on. A potential new member will remember a shortlink far more easily than the longer community URL.


This shortlink can be used to display a standardised and centrally hosted Freegle disclaimer on your Yahoo group page. The full URL would use 67 characters versus the much reduced 17 characters of the shortlink. A savings of 50 is great, especially considering you may have a dozen graphic or link URLs in your Yahoo group description.
    freegle.in/Ambridge  is more memorable than  https://www.ilovefreegle.org/Ambridge-BorchesterFreegle


'''Third''', shortlinks are useful for providing easier to access URLs in place of more complicated ones. For instance, the following shortlink links to our Freegle Who's Who spreadsheet.
The shortlink is easier to type, and faster to write down for someone taking note.


    http://freegle.it/WhosWho -> http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tHlrrV6stByNXhbGduUVHrQ&output=html
'''Second''', shortlinks are by definition short, which makes them useful for displaying on graphics and linking to other pages.


Obviously the Google Documents target link is quite a mouthful. Comparitively the shortlink is quite easy to remember and type. It also is a self-descriptive link - it is not hard to tell where the shortlink goes, while the long URL is a mystery until you actually load it up.
'''Third''', shortlinks make it easier to reach complicated URLs. For instance, this shortlink links to the Freegle Who's Who spreadsheet:


'''Lastly''', shortlinks are internally useful by Freegle mods as they are simply easier to remember. If you wanted to visit the Freegle Who's Who spreadsheet above and could not use the shortlink, you would likely have to visit another a web page or use a bookmark to find a link to the Who's Who spreadsheet. With the shortlink you can quickly load up the spreadsheet without having to go anywhere else first as http://freegle.it/WhosWho is easily remembered.
  freegle.it/WhosWho  goes to   http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tHlrrV6stByNXhbGduUVHrQ&output=html


A URL shortlinking service has been setup for Freegle using the domains freegle.in and freegle.it / frgl.it.
The Google Docs target link is quite a mouthful; the shortlink is easier to remember and type, and self-descriptive - it's not hard to tell where it goes, while the long URL is a mystery until you load it.


== Freegle.in  ==
'''Lastly''', shortlinks are useful internally for Freegle mods, simply because they're easier to remember. If you wanted to visit the Who's Who spreadsheet above and didn't have the shortlink, you might have to hunt through another web page or a bookmark to find a link to it. With freegle.it/WhosWho, you can load the spreadsheet directly.


'''Freegle.in''' shortlinks have been setup to make it easier for Freegle mods to connect people with their local Freegle groups on Yahoo. These provide redirects to each group's page and are setup and maintained by the Freegle shortlinking team ([mailto:shortlinks@iLoveFreegle.org which is currently recruiting]).  
A URL shortlinking service for Freegle uses the domains freegle.in and freegle.it / frgl.it.


Additionally, several other shortlinks are setup at Freegle.in for redirecting to another location based Freegle page. For instance, Freegle UK region shortlinks have been setup at Freegle.in which redirect to the appropriate "Find a Group" region page on the Freegle website. And a [http://freegle.in/UK|Freegle UK] shortlink has been setup which redirects to the top level Find a Group page on the Freegle website. Lastly, those interested in Freestock can visit http://freegle.in/aField.
== Freegle.in ==


To see the currently configured Freegle.in shortlinks, please visit http://freegle.in. Changes can be requested via a form on the page or by emailing [mailto:shortlinks@iLoveFreegle.org shortlinks@iLoveFreegle.org].
'''Freegle.in''' shortlinks make it easier for Freegle mods to connect people with their local Freegle communities. They redirect to each community's page, and are set up and maintained by the Freegle geeks team.


For a searchable list, have a look at [http://direct.ilovefreegle.org/allgroupscsv.php] which also gives the various addresses (Yahoo, Direct, Facebook, Twitter) alongside all the freegle.in .
Several other shortlinks are set up at Freegle.in for redirecting to other location-based Freegle pages. For instance, Freegle UK region shortlinks redirect to the appropriate "Find a Community" region page on the Freegle website. Anyone interested in Freestock can visit freegle.in/aField.


== Freegle.it ==
== Freegle.it ==


'''Freegle.it''' shortlinks are setup as needed for more miscellaneous targets, such as Freegle moderator discussion groups or Google documents that we want to make easily findable. To request a shortlink added, please email [mailto:shortlinks@iLoveFreegle.org shortlinks@iLoveFreegle.org].
'''Freegle.it''' shortlinks are set up as needed for more miscellaneous targets, such as Freegle moderator discussion groups or Google documents we want to make easy to find. To request a new shortlink, email [mailto:shortlinks@iLoveFreegle.org shortlinks@iLoveFreegle.org].


Freegle.it shortlinks are also used for shortlinking to [http://frgl.it/sl commonly used images], our [http://frgl.it/favicon favicon], etc.
All Freegle.it shortlinks can also be accessed using the domain frgl.it. Use freegle.it when the URL will be visible and character limits aren't an issue, for example on a poster. The shorter frgl.it is better when the URL isn't visible and character limits matter.


All Freegle.it shortlinks can also be accessed by using the domain name frgl.it. It is advised to use freegle.it when the URL will be visible and character limitation is not an issue eg. on a poster. The shorter version frgl.it is better used when the URL is not visible and when character limitation is an issue eg. on your homepage description.
== Tips and tricks ==


== Tips & Tricks ==
All Freegle.it and Freegle.in shortlinks are case insensitive. For example, the following are all equivalent:
 
Please note that all Freegle.it and Freegle.in shortlinks are case insensitive. For example, the following are all equivalent.


* http://freegle.it/WhosWho
* http://freegle.it/WhosWho
Line 65: Line 66:
* http://freegle.it/wHoSwHo
* http://freegle.it/wHoSwHo


Of course, the last option is a bit insane. ;)
Of course, the last one is a bit much.
 
Also, all Freegle shortlinks automatically have statistics gathered regarding how often they have been used, what sites are linking to them, etc. To visit the stats page for a shortlink, just add a plus sign (+) to the end of the URL. For instance: http://freegle.it/WhosWho+


In the near future the shortlinking application will be extended to allow shortlinks to optionally log tracking details via Google analytics as well. This will allow individual groups to provide the Shortlinking team with a Google analytics web property ID (the UA-XXXXX-YY number) which will then be used for tracking visits to your group page via a Freegle.in shortlink.
In future, the shortlinking application may be extended to allow shortlinks to optionally log tracking details via Google Analytics too. This would let individual communities provide the Shortlinking team with a Google Analytics web property ID (the UA-XXXXX-YY number), used to track visits to your community page via a Freegle.in shortlink.


= Notable Freegle Shortlinks =
= Notable Freegle shortlinks =


There are shortlinks to the core Freegle documents as well as the main Freegle moderator discussion groups. Some of these are listed below.
There are shortlinks to core Freegle documents as well as the main Freegle moderator discussion groups. Some are listed below.


== Google Documents ==
== Google Documents ==


* Document Index - http://freegle.it/DocIndex
* Who's Who in Freegle - http://freegle.it/WhosWho
* Who's Who in Freegle - http://freegle.it/WhosWho
* Governing Document - http://freegle.it/GoverningDoc ''<span style="color:red">(approaching final draft)</span>''
* Governing Document - http://freegle.it/GoverningDoc
* Freegle Accounts - http//frgl.it/Accounts
* Freegle Accounts - http://frgl.it/Accounts


== Main Groups ==
== Main groups ==
* [[Freegle UK Central]] - http://freegle.it/Central or http://frgl.it/Central
* [[Freegle Central Group]] - http://freegle.it/Central or http://frgl.it/Central
* [[Freegle Rock Cafe]] - http://freegle.it/Cafe or http://frgl.it/Cafe
* [[Freegle Cafe]] - http://freegle.it/Cafe or http://frgl.it/Cafe


== Working Groups ==
== Helpful misc shortlinks ==
* [[Freegle Media|Media]] - http://freegle.it/Media or http://frgl.it/Media
* Donate to Freegle - http://freegle.it/donate or http://frgl.it/donate
* [[Freegle People|People]] - http://freegle.it/People or http://frgl.it/People
* [[Freegle Start|Start]] - http://freegle.it/Start or http://frgl.it/Start
* [[Freegle Structure|Structure]] - http://freegle.it/Structure or http://frgl.it/Structure
* [[Freegle Tech|Tech]] - http://freegle.it/Tech or http://frgl.it/Tech
* [[Freegle Legal|Legal]] - http://freegle.it/Legal or http://frgl.it/Legal


Back to [[PR Materials]]


Back to [[PR Materials]]
[[Category:Promotion & Publicity]]
[[category:Tech Group Stuff]]
[[category: PR Materials]]
[[category:Home Page Help]]

Latest revision as of 12:00, 17 July 2026

About shortlinking

General information

Shortlinks are short website addresses that redirect to longer ones. They're easier to remember and type than a long URL. More information can be found in Wikipedia's URL Shortening article.

Note: within a wiki article, shortlinks aren't clickable, but they will work when typed into a browser bar without http:// or www. - that's part of what makes them short.

An example shortlink: 

 freegle.in/croydon   which redirects to   https://www.ilovefreegle.org/explore/Croydon-Freegle

Shortlinks for communities

The basic format for community shortlinks is freegle.in/groupid, where groupid is the form of the community's name used on its Explore page. But there are variations, for instance:

  • freegle.in/lancasterMorecambe
  • freegle.in/Lancaster
  • freegle.in/morecambe

and nicknames:

  • freegle.in/toon

The list of current shortlinks is here: https://www.ilovefreegle.org/shortlinks

Shortlinks are provided centrally for all Freegle communities. Changes or additions can be requested by emailing shortlinks@iLoveFreegle.org

Why shortlink

First, it's practical to use shortlinks when publishing a local Freegle community's website address on pamphlets, business cards, bumper stickers, posters and so on. A potential new member will remember a shortlink far more easily than the longer community URL. 

   freegle.in/Ambridge  is more memorable than  https://www.ilovefreegle.org/Ambridge-BorchesterFreegle

The shortlink is easier to type, and faster to write down for someone taking note.

Second, shortlinks are by definition short, which makes them useful for displaying on graphics and linking to other pages.

Third, shortlinks make it easier to reach complicated URLs. For instance, this shortlink links to the Freegle Who's Who spreadsheet: 

  freegle.it/WhosWho   goes to   http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tHlrrV6stByNXhbGduUVHrQ&output=html

The Google Docs target link is quite a mouthful; the shortlink is easier to remember and type, and self-descriptive - it's not hard to tell where it goes, while the long URL is a mystery until you load it.

Lastly, shortlinks are useful internally for Freegle mods, simply because they're easier to remember. If you wanted to visit the Who's Who spreadsheet above and didn't have the shortlink, you might have to hunt through another web page or a bookmark to find a link to it. With freegle.it/WhosWho, you can load the spreadsheet directly.

A URL shortlinking service for Freegle uses the domains freegle.in and freegle.it / frgl.it.

Freegle.in

Freegle.in shortlinks make it easier for Freegle mods to connect people with their local Freegle communities. They redirect to each community's page, and are set up and maintained by the Freegle geeks team.

Several other shortlinks are set up at Freegle.in for redirecting to other location-based Freegle pages. For instance, Freegle UK region shortlinks redirect to the appropriate "Find a Community" region page on the Freegle website. Anyone interested in Freestock can visit freegle.in/aField.

Freegle.it

Freegle.it shortlinks are set up as needed for more miscellaneous targets, such as Freegle moderator discussion groups or Google documents we want to make easy to find. To request a new shortlink, email shortlinks@iLoveFreegle.org.

All Freegle.it shortlinks can also be accessed using the domain frgl.it. Use freegle.it when the URL will be visible and character limits aren't an issue, for example on a poster. The shorter frgl.it is better when the URL isn't visible and character limits matter.

Tips and tricks

All Freegle.it and Freegle.in shortlinks are case insensitive. For example, the following are all equivalent:

Of course, the last one is a bit much.

In future, the shortlinking application may be extended to allow shortlinks to optionally log tracking details via Google Analytics too. This would let individual communities provide the Shortlinking team with a Google Analytics web property ID (the UA-XXXXX-YY number), used to track visits to your community page via a Freegle.in shortlink.

Notable Freegle shortlinks

There are shortlinks to core Freegle documents as well as the main Freegle moderator discussion groups. Some are listed below.

Google Documents

Main groups

Helpful misc shortlinks

Back to PR Materials

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