Google is shutting down its goo.gl URL shortening service

[Arthur]

Source: Google

 

We launched the Google URL Shortener back in 2009 as a way to help people more easily share links and measure traffic online. Since then, many popular URL shortening services have emerged and the ways people find content on the Internet have also changed dramatically, from primarily desktop webpages to apps, mobile devices, home assistants, and more.

 

To refocus our efforts, we're turning down support for goo.gl over the coming weeks and replacing it with Firebase Dynamic Links (FDL). FDLs are smart URLs that allow you to send existing and potential users to any location within an iOS, Android or web app. We're excited to grow and improve the product going forward. While most features of goo.gl will eventually sunset, all existing links will continue to redirect to the intended destination.

 

For consumers

Starting 13 April 2018, anonymous users and users who have never created short links before today will not be able to create new short links via the goo.gl console. If you are looking to create new short links, we recommend you use Firebase Dynamic Links or check out popular services like Bitly and Ow.ly as an alternative.

 

If you have existing goo.gl short links, you can continue to use all features of goo.gl console for a period of one year, until 30 March 2019, when we will discontinue the console. You can manage all your short links and their analytics through the goo.gl console during this period.

 

After 30 March 2019, all links will continue to redirect to the intended destination. Your existing short links will not be migrated to the Firebase console, however, you will be able to export your link information from the goo.gl console.

[elsiegee40]

I use goo.gl quite regularly. Thanks for the warning!

[Norphy]

Google shutting down one of its regularly used services? I’m shocked. Shocked I tell you.

 

Bah.

 

/still not forgiven them for shutting down Reader

[MatthewL]

Thanks for that, do use this quite a bit.

[Arthur]

Google shutting down one of its regularly used services? I’m shocked. Shocked I tell you.

goo.gl managed to last for 9 years. That must be some kind of record!

[Baloo]

I use this. Why cannot they leave alone with stuff that is used.I do not want to allow bit.ly links.

[mavhc]

Google shutting down one of its regularly used services? I’m shocked. Shocked I tell you.

 

Bah.

 

/still not forgiven them for shutting down Reader

 

Do you still use an rss reader though? It's my last resort these days, too much content.

 

Why would one block/allow any url shortener?

 

GSuite lets you have your own.

 

The reason they're killing it is to promote their firebase thing, which contains the following: https://firebase.google.com/products/dynamic-links/ "When a user shares content from your app, the ultimate goal is to convert their friends into active native app users." -- err, really google?

[Norphy]

Do you still use an rss reader though? It's my last resort these days, too much content.

 

 

Yes, I use Feedly instead. It suffices.

[Arthur]

Do you still use an rss reader though? It's my last resort these days, too much content.

Do you use anything like Full-Text RSS with your RSS reader?

 

I use Feedly too, but one annoyance I have with RSS is the number of sites that do not show the full text of the articles in the feed. I understand why they do it, but it is still annoying.

[mavhc]

I use feedly, but only open it about once a week.

[p858snake]

Google shutting down one of its regularly used services? I’m shocked. Shocked I tell you.

 

Bah.

 

/still not forgiven them for shutting down Reader

 

Picasa for Windows, Not that they really ever maintained it *shakes fist*

[Chockster]

I was a user of picasa, reader and notebook. All sadly missed. Dreading the inevitable gmail cancellation day - I've had that as my main address from when it was invite-only.

 

For RSS I use newsblur, and I'm happy to pay for the premium version. It's been great, and handles no-content feeds quite well. It tries to fetch artiicles to display inline, and works for the vast majority of feeds.

[mavhc]

Well, Picasa is replaced by Photos (so it's cross platform), Reader by Now (change in use case), and I'd forgotten about Notebook, but Keep. However they really should be working on something to go up against OneNote

[Arthur]

they really should be working on something to go up against OneNote

That's Google Keep, isn't it? Keep always gets compared to OneNote and Evernote even though it's quite basic.

 

There's also Google Colaboratory, but that kind of serves a different purpose (and will probably get shutdown in two years time anyway).

[Chockster]

Well, Picasa is replaced by Photos (so it's cross platform), Reader by Now (change in use case), and I'd forgotten about Notebook, but Keep. However they really should be working on something to go up against OneNote

Sorry, should have specifically said Picasa for Windows. Batch editing, geotagging, and nice backup features were all lost. For me, Now isn't nearly as useful as an RSS reader, but I guess I'm old school.

[mavhc]

Ah, it's Jupyter based, so open standard, nice, not heard of it before.

 

I guess you're supposed to let your phone sync gps locations to google for geotagging, bit annoying. What were the backup features?

[Zoom7000]

Has anyone got their head around this new Firebase Dynamic Links (FDL)?

 

I've tried to get my head around it, but can't see how it's a replacement, if it even is!

[Katy]

Never worked out why everyone jumped all over bit.ly etc when they came out, I hate URL shortening (especially when it's "click here", and here is hyperlinked to a shortened URL... no need) - no way of knowing where it's going to take you until you've clicked it.

[Zoom7000]

Never worked out why everyone jumped all over bit.ly etc when they came out, I hate URL shortening (especially when it's "click here", and here is hyperlinked to a shortened URL... no need) - no way of knowing where it's going to take you until you've clicked it.

 

Whilst I can understand the concern here, you have to admit that it is very useful if you need to manually type out a link or send it via a character limited platform (Twitter or Text Message etc).

[Arthur]

Whilst I can understand the concern here, you have to admit that it is very useful if you need to manually type out a link

Perhaps the way forward is to run our own URL shortening services? e.g. YOURLS or AWS Lambda.

[plexer]

That's why with some of the services like tinurl you can get a preview, I always recommend a short url expander rather than just blindly clicking on them but they are handy to share long url's and goo.gl gave me analytics on them as well.

 

Shame on you Google

 

Ben

[mavhc]

Seems that google discontinued its GSuite Marketplace addon for making short links too, Google Short Links, can't find a mention of when/why

[forkies]

Perhaps the way forward is to run our own URL shortening services? e.g. YOURLS or AWS Lambda.

 

We run our own, I bought a short domain and host yourls on it, works like a dream, easy to use too! For a few quid a year on the domain its worth it.