ShortenMe is a bit.ly lookup application that provides shortened URLs. You give it a URL, and it simply looks up that URL on bit.ly, retrieving a shortened link and copying it to your clipboard.
Ideally, if a shortened link already exists in the bit.ly database, then that pre-existing link would be retrieved rather than creating a new one. However, ShortenMe does not always collect the pre-existing link for some reason; while http://mac.informer.com yielded the code 10Jb1T2 in ShortenMe, using the bit.ly website yielded bltOeO. Both links work, but the latter, older link has one fewer digit, potentially significant for those who need URL shorteners in the first place.
The API integration feature, while useful for a subset of users, introduces a bug that the developers recognize and warn against; pressing the Save button without information entered will necessitate reinstallation of the program to fix. It's easy enough to avoid this, but one would imagine it's not a severely difficult bug to fix.
Sam's Protip: There are a variety of other URL shortener services out on the web, including some that permit customization of the result if branding's what you're after.
Pros
- Straightforward browser-independent interface
- Color selection permits small degree of customization
Cons
- Does not always produce the shortest possible link
- Known bug with API use can only be solved by reinstallation