Until recently, all those companies providing shortened URLs (like linkshrink) didn't bother
me. I've noticed a big change for the worse! Some of these link shortener services are
behaving like criminal organizations.

I am frequently hit by those fake "your system is infected" messages. Also, it's becoming
extremely difficult to get past their endless popups. When you click the "continue" button
it should eventually redirect to the fully expanded URL.

There are many websites (like linkexpander) that are suppose to show you the fully expanded
URL. I've tried several. They haven't worked for me.

There is a Firefox addon for this problem:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/long-url-please-mod/

Firefox and K-Meleon are both Mozilla based browsers. Would it be possible to integrate this
addon with K-Meleon? If not, maybe there is an app. I haven't searched yet.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/21/2017 10:00PM by clutterless.

GetLinkInfo, haven't failed to me yet.

It follows redirects till no more and then displays the actual URL.


I don't use the built in K-meleon search engines, but it can be added easily though the control panel as it works the same way.

Just add a new search engine as http://getlinkinfo.com/info?link= and let the magic works.


I started to use this one when longurl.com stopped working.

Popups are there to be blocked :cool:
Awhile ago JohnHell inspired a macro for easier finetuning. Creates just a menu for toggling native Mozilla prefs:
http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?9,139836

Anyway, of course that linkchecker-page calls out for a little macro too, LOL! Thanx again John
Description is also inside the attachment, can be read with any text editor like notepad

Macro getlinkinfocom.kmm
This only creates a menu line to open "getlinkinfo.com" with the shortlink included already, that means no manual copy&paste necessary, like this:
http://getlinkinfo.com/info?link=https://t.co/xxxxx
MENU: right-click on a link > getlinkinfo.com
Or in Tools > getlinkinfo.com (shows input field, can be prefilled with a selected text on current page, or clipboard)

Installation:
place the attached kmm-file into the macros folder. Restart browser.
(Uninstallation: remove the file again)

You can google for a lengthy explanation, but there are many shortened URLs that cannot be
expanded. I tried GetLinkInfo and several other sites. Apparently, the shortened URLs I entered
are not expandable.

Most sites I visit don't overuse popups. Unfortunately, I must go through several of these link
shrinker sites. They're all drowning in popups. The basic K-Meleon popup blocker does not
work with shrinker sites. I need a "super heavy duty" blocker that will clobber all popups when
I'm forced to visit a link shrinker site.

Sure the default blocker is rather soft, but the first mentioned macro in my post above (popupconfig) can make it harder. Not superheavyduty, but helps partly.
And would also add domain-specific popup blocks, using extension ExExpermissions.

But if you visit regularly such nasty sites, which highly likely contain malware too, consider using for such visits some specialised browser.

Quote
clutterless
You can google for a lengthy explanation, but there are many shortened URLs that cannot be
expanded. I tried GetLinkInfo and several other sites. Apparently, the shortened URLs I entered
are not expandable.

Most sites I visit don't overuse popups. Unfortunately, I must go through several of these link
shrinker sites. They're all drowning in popups. The basic K-Meleon popup blocker does not
work with shrinker sites. I need a "super heavy duty" blocker that will clobber all popups when
I'm forced to visit a link shrinker site.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think you may be talking of "short" links like adf.ly and subspecies, but those, and that's the reason I wrote between quotes, are not shortened links.

In other words those links don't redirect as all shortener works. Instead they present a monetizing page in between. It's not the same and must be well differentiated.

For popup blocking, Siria made a macro to help easy toggle of events allowed to open popups. This is a feature built-in in Gecko browsers.

http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?9,139836,139836#msg-139836

Toggle them to the more strict ones would help, but not with all. After all, you would need clic event to open links and that is how those "shorterners" work. In that last clic is unavoidable to open popups.

I have set mine to "dblclick reset" and I still get popups with those links.

"The basic K-Meleon popup blocker does not work with shrinker sites."
False. KMeleon AD blocker will block whatever you want to block, just add it.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but I think you may be talking of "short" links like adf.ly and subspecies, but those, and that's the reason I wrote between quotes, are not shortened links."
False. They all are shortened links due to their redirect power.

The trick is just to identify the 'first' redirecting site to see if it's irrelevant or not before to add it to the built-in AD blocker. Sometimes, the 'first' short link is needed to continue loading the main page only, and if you block it you will never get the 'I'm not a robot' image or you will be unable to enter the required code. In this case you should add only the 'second' and the next ones to AD blocker. Sometimes you will have to add the first and the others, because they will open dozens of other shortened links. It's not a simply task because it requires some experience along time. Anyway, as @Siria said, "But if you visit regularly such nasty sites, which highly likely contain malware too, consider using for such visits some specialised browser.". I could recommend one browser and one AD blocker for such sites, but I don't want to be warned about spam or off-topic issues again.

So here there is my list that works pretty well for me:

@@shink.*
*.xyz
*histock.*
*newtabtv.*
*.gunnellars.*
*.explorads.*
*.commerce-e-18.*
*.thewhizproducts.*
*.thewhizmarketing.*
*.video*converter.*
*mnt*foundation*
*saturalist.*
*46gamesonden.*
*kniverto.*
*hd15*
*drochistul*
*lp*stream*
*binomo*
*paclitor*
*protectoroptimumag*
*bet365*
*fedasetu*
*birdieulx*
*yourtemplatefinder*
*gnhu*
*gorujiko*
*qutireno*
*blpmovies*
*telegram*
*.4ptp.*
*softonic*

Just add them to the AD blocker. However, I recommend you to build your own list following the tricks I said above! I hope they will help you so much!

Edit: there are some malware advertising blocking lists around the net like:
https://filterlists.com/



Edited 9 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/2017 02:01PM by J.G..

Quote
J.G.
Edited 9 times

LOL! I see you're quickly realizing the advantages of posting with an account and happily use them (as do I)
(PS: that was offtopic of course )
(PS2: just to avoid misunderstandings, I'm not saying it's great to edit so much, for example for RSS-readers it's rather a pain and has other disadvantages too, so we should all use it with care only)

Quote
J.G.
I could recommend one browser and one AD blocker for such sites, but I don't want to be warned about spam or off-topic issues again.

Except in THIS thread it would be ON topic.

Quote
J.G.
So here there is my list that works pretty well for me:

Thanks. Hardly ever run into such probs with my own surfing habits, but will add to my very ancient adblock list too, just in case



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/2017 02:42PM by siria.

@Siria LOL 9 times edited, so sorry
Thanks, @Siria, if it's on topic the Ublock Origin lists from Google's Chrome can be very useful and they can be easily added to KMeleon Adblock -- anyway, own lists like mine are very recommendable for avoiding shortened links.
I strongly recommend too: https://filterlists.com/

Quote
J.G.
"Correct me if I'm wrong but I think you may be talking of "short" links like adf.ly and subspecies, but those, and that's the reason I wrote between quotes, are not shortened links."
False. They all are shortened links due to their redirect power.

You misunderstand what those shorteners (not adf.ly and similar) do.

A shortener just works answering with a 301 or a 302 HTTP reply code to redirect to the target website. There is no intermediate website.

Adf.ly and similar, don't do this. They don't pretend to short an url, even though they do. Instead of an instant redirect they serve an intermediate website.

And that is the reason short links resolvers don't work. Adf.ly is already a target page, not a redirect.

Have looked around a bit in the web, and could it be you have to click some button which always carries the same name to proceed to the real target? Not sure, but if yes, perhaps some OnLoad automatic would be possible, for finding that button, getting its final target, closing current tab and open the real target without user clicks? But no clue, just fantasizing ;-)
In one of the older macros there's a ready js snippet for getting the target of e.g. "next page" links

No, @siria, that's not possible.

I'm basically talking about adf.ly, that is the most common and what I have most found in the past, but they usually have a javascript countdown until a button, link, or whatever, with the target URL is displayed. Actually, I would say built as it is not hidden in the source code. Even sometimes you need to allow third party scripts, frames or whatever, because they track if they are displayed, and if they don't, they won't show the link to the target.

Not as easy as use a macro, sadly.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/2017 06:52PM by JohnHell.

Quote
JohnHell
You misunderstand what those shorteners (not adf.ly and similar) do. A shortener just works answering with a 301 or a 302 HTTP reply code to redirect to the target website. There is no intermediate website. Adf.ly and similar, don't do this. They don't pretend to short an url, even though they do. Instead of an instant redirect they serve an intermediate website. And that is the reason short links resolvers don't work. Adf.ly is already a target page, not a redirect.

I didn't misundertand, mostly all websites said that 'Adf.ly' is a redirect:
https://superuser.com/questions/669848/what-is-adf-ly-and-how-does-it-somehow-usurp-my-clicks
http://problognews.blogspot.com.es/2012/01/what-is-adfly-and-how-to-use-it.html
https://www.ghacks.net/2013/01/06/how-to-automatically-bypass-adf-ly-link-pages/

However, I have seen this morning this Firefox extension:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/adfly-skipper/?src=search
According to the author, it allows to skip:
✔ adf.ly
✔ atominik.com
✔ microify.com
✔ bluenik.com
✔ tinyium.com
✔ babblecase.com
✔ riffhold.com
✔ pintient.com
✔ getrom.net
...and more!

De verdad, que cada uno piense lo que quiera.

No voy a seguir discutiendo a qué huelen las nubes.

Quote
JohnHell
De verdad, que cada uno piense lo que quiera.
No voy a seguir discutiendo a qué huelen las nubes.

There was no need at all to conclude this topic in such this way, mainly when I provided some information and help. I only wrote my posts according to my experience and the definition about 'adf.ly' extracted for some webpages, like this: "adfly is a re-directer used by people to get clicks for money with advertising. You have to wait a few seconds then in the top right corner you can click skip ad. They also claim the purpose of it is to shorten the length of links. Either way it is a advertising ploy." and this: "AdF.ly takes an interesting approach to link shortening by offering its users the opportunity to earn money by using its service.". I only wanted to contribute to this forum, so I apologize for any inconvenience caused. Thanks.

https://superuser.com/questions/669848/what-is-adf-ly-and-how-does-it-somehow-usurp-my-clicks
https://www.lifewire.com/shortening-long-links-3486603



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/26/2017 09:52AM by J.G..

J.G., wouldn't take other opinions so personally each time, even if they are expressed strongly, or you're not going to be happy here. You have strong opinions and so do some others ;-) Just not worth arguing about such peanuts, basically semantics: how "link shorteners" or redirectors should be defined exactly, if they can include interim pages or not etc. That's what John meant to say, this just isn't worth it, and everyone keeps his opinion anyway, so what, lets drop it - no offense meant.

Quote
siria
J.G., wouldn't take other opinions so personally each time, even if they are expressed strongly, or you're not going to be happy here. You have strong opinions and so do some others ;-) Just not worth arguing about such peanuts, basically semantics: how "link shorteners" or redirectors should be defined exactly, if they can include interim pages or not etc. That's what John meant to say, this just isn't worth it, and everyone keeps his opinion anyway, so what, lets drop it - no offense meant.

I meant that there was no need to conclude in spanish when the dialog was done entirely in english. Anyway, thank you very much for your always diplomatic and polite words of patience and peace. I'll keep using and spreading amazing Rodocop's KMeleon as always, so please keep on the good job.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/06/2017 10:54AM by J.G..