DigitURL

Most internet users know about the webservice TinyURL.com, which allows users to create url shortcuts to lengthier ones. Tinyurl web addresses consist of a random code, usually 6 digits in length, appended to the end of the domain http://Tinyurl.com (i.e., Tinyurl.com/dw2f9k). A new webservice to address the keypad pressing woes of mobile internet users has popped up. It's called DigitURL and its concept is pretty much the same. Like Tinyurl, it is a URL redirection utility. Accessed via its mobile-friendly webpage or its mobile app, DigitURL allows users to create a numeric code to represent a web destination (perhaps a youtube video address); the code is always a random set of 11 numbers. Obviously, using numbers instead of a letter-number combination, as used by Tinyurl, makes more sense from a mobile phone keypad point of view. The main difference between 'DigitURL' and 'Tinyurl' is that DigitURL doesn't expect you to type in a full url (i.e. DigitURL.com/466453). The expectation is that you will remember in your head (or copy and paste) the DigitURL, the 11-digit numeric code, and enter that code in the DigitURL mobile app on your phone or bookmark DigitURL's website and plug in the numeric code there.

Users are given the opportunity to create their DigitURL for whichever address they please, however the numeric code they get is always a random array of 11 numbers and never the wordnumber. For instance, I decided to create the DigitURL for Craigslist.com and got this http://digiturl.com/85834397256 and got this http://digiturl.com/39767443628 for Furl.com.

Clearly, the concept of creating a DigitURL is not for common brands/major websites. For those, the webmaster has complete control over the assignment of wordnumbers as Short DigitURLs. And, so we must mention the 'Short DigitURL' list. The website states:

Short DigitURLs are for major sites and correspond to the letters on the phone buttons. To obtain a short DigitURL for your website/blog and get it included in this list, please include a prominent mention of DigitURL.com on your site and then contact me.

The moniker 'Short' is employed because using wordnumbers for DigitURLs will result in numeric arrays that are most often - though not always - shorter than 11 numbers long. Furl would be 4 digits and TDAmeritrade would be 12 digits.

At the time of writing this, many major web destinations aren't listed on the Short DigitURL list including Craigslist.org, which we singled out for no particular reason as an example. Is the webmaster expecting Craiglist's CEO to post a prominent mention of DigitURL.com at Craigslist.org and email him to get Craiglist's wordnumber set up as the DigitURL to be posted on the Short DigitURL list? I'm guessing DigitURL has decided to already set up some of the most popular destinations since I doubt CNN, ebay, ESPN, etc... all jumped through the hoops since the website was launched in November.

It seems the smarter concept would be to assign all the wordnumbers for major websites right away as Short DigitURLs - and show ads on the launch page (known as the URL Preview page). This is what mobile users need most. Why? The greatest impediment to mobile web surfing is that walled gardens don't allow users easy access to all their favorite websites and those websites have incredibly long urls to type with a tiny mobile phone keypad. The vast majority of brand dotcom wordnumbers are held by a small number of investors and one New Zealand company called WordDial. Until those domain properties are recognized for their value, purchased or leased and set up by major companies, there is no easy way to access urls on the mobile web. If all major brand wordnumbers as Short DigitURLs were all set to go, then more users would frequent the site, business would boom and ad revenue would soar. These DigitURLs would be most often shorter than 11 digits and would not require memorizing or cutting and pasting from emails random DigitURLs (like the ones for Furl and Craigslist above). Wordnumbers don't require memorization; all they require is the rote pressing of the number on your keypad that corresponds with the letter. Google once had such a solution and Google could put the Short DigitURL List out of commission in a second if it wanted to relaunch a version of that mobile webpage.

Certainly problems will creep up with DigitURL. How will multiple brands vie for the shorter DigitURL wordnnumbers such as 222 or 3776 (esso, espn, etc...). Who will win out when ABC and BBC both want the DigitURL 222?

And this gave me chuckle
I seem to recall that you don't need a URL redirection utility to access Google on a mobile phone. Google owns its own dotcom wordnumber; Google = 466453.com.