Shortened URLs only have a very niche area of positive effect: communicating a long URL over a transmission where it would be costly to do it unencrypted (eg SMS).

We're on the web, we have no need for them. They hinder transparency and add more potential faults to the system (What if the shortener used goes out of business and is bought by a spammer? or just dies? The link fails.)

### If you see one, comment on the post to let the poster know your incandescent rage (*but be polite*) and if you can, expand the link.

But yes, we should formally declare war on shortened URLs.