[X4U] Commentary: Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree

[Michael Winter]

On Oct 17, 2006, at 10:23 AM, Jan Melichar wrote:

>> And I also agree on being able to see where a URL is pointing.
>
> So you know what you are going to get from just seeing a URL?

Yes. I know that the URL that is supposedly going to show me an  
article at the NY Times actually points to the NY Times web site. I  
(generally) know that its pointing to an html file and not an  
executable file (though one may still be buried in the page).

I'd say one of the basics of safe web surfing is understanding the  
basic composition of a URL, including the type of transfer, the  
domain of the URL, the type of file you expect to recieve, and  
recognizing when your surfing is being re-directed through a 3rd  
party site. Using tinyURL keeps things neat, but it removes a level  
of safety.

-Mike