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

[Juergen Fenn]

David Messerschmitt schrieb:

>>> 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.

In fact, it makes no difference whether you put a URL inline or in a
list of references or in an appendix or in a footnote. A URL always
references a ressource on the web in a given path, and hiding it behind
a tinyurl would be like referring to an author not by his real name, but
by his pseudonym that hardly anyone knows. I.e., it would not make much
sense to me.

What you could do, of course, is citing URLs inline by short references
only, such as "[URL:1]" etc. But that would not be a shortened URL ...

Regards,
Jürgen.