[OS X TeX] How about just shortening the URL?

[David Messerschmitt]

(sorry for the slow reply -- I was using the digest)

>>
>> Am 03.11.2009 um 23:12 schrieb David Messerschmitt:
>>
>>> To those of you struggling with breaking of long URLs using \url
>>> {}, how about just creating a short URL using one of the free URL
>>> redirection services like:
>>
>> Doesn't it turn the URL into something vague, indeterminate,
>> anonymous?
>

Yes, but there are only two reasons to put a URL inline: (a) hide it  
behind some descriptive text and (b) create a reference that can be  
located across different media, including paper. For (a) long URL  
length and formating is not an issue, and for (b) asking the reader to  
type in a long URL can be seriously annoying. The URL syntax was never  
optimized for human readability anyways, and the longer the URL the  
less readable it is. I think for purpose (b) a short URL is compelling.

-dave

David Messerschmitt
Roger Strauch Professor Emeritus
Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences
University of Californa at Berkeley
     and
Visiting Professor
Helsinki University of Technology
Software Business Laboratory
    and
Visiting Researcher
SETI Institute




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