[PATCH] tinyurlification of URLs in notices

We should automatically tiny-urlify URLs in notices.

We should find an [http://opendefinition.org/osd OSD]-compatible smallifier to use by default. Or install one if none exists.

We need a configuration option for using another tinyurlifier.

Comment: please don't shorten URLs unless they bump the notice length over 140 characters. I rarely click on URLs in tweets, because they're all shortened and hence opaque - unless the user has bothered to explicitly describe them. -- Earle Martin

Comment: TwitterFox shortens URLs and puts the original URL in the title attribute of the HTML link, making it visible on hover. This is an elegant and convenient solution to the above issue. -- Micah Sittig

That would certainly be useful for when URLs are shortened, but having to mouseover every single shortened URL on the screen is still a bit wearying. -- Earle Martin

Comment: As long you are putting in titles and whatnot, why not just embrace HTML and leave the full link in and truncate the displayed link text? E.g., {{{youtube.com/b...}}} -- Ian Bicking

http://bit.ly/ is promising. should the service used be a user-pref? -- danbri

Comment: I agree with Earle Martin. auto tinyurls save no characters in your message & reduce trust in the proffered URL. at most Ian Bicking's suggestion to use a character (like # for hashtags) to automatically linkify thus leaving out "http://" would be beneficial. -- exador23