E-mail from twitter this morning indicates that all links within tweets will soon be wrapped and delivered using t.co. The purpose is actually to deliver longer, less obscure looking links to the web or application users. Soon, twitter will be analyzing every link clicked for validity and malware, wrap it with a t.co URL and send it to the web looking like a shorter version of the domain they are actually clicking on. Sounds a bit confusing but I like the idea of seeing the actual domain you are about to visit instead of a meaningless text string.
From Twitter E-mail:
Update 2: t.co URL wrapping
In the coming weeks, we will be expanding the roll-out of our link wrapping service t.co, which wraps links in Tweets with a new, simplified link. Wrapped links are displayed in a way that is easier to read, with the actual domain and part of the URL showing, so that you know what you are clicking on. When you click on a wrapped link, your request will pass through the Twitter service to check if the destination site is known to contain malware, and we then will forward you on to the destination URL. All of that should happen in an instant.
You will start seeing these links on certain accounts that have opted-in to the service; we expect to roll this out to all users by the end of the year. When this happens, all links shared on Twitter.com or third-party apps will be wrapped with a t.co URL.
What does this mean for me?
* A really long link such as http://www.amazon.com/Delivering-Happiness-Profits-Passion-Purpose/dp/0446563048 might be wrapped as http://t.co/DRo0trj for display on SMS, but it could be displayed to web or application users as amazon.com/Delivering- or as the whole URL or page title.
* You will start seeing links in a way that removes the obscurity of shortened links and lets you know where each link will take you.
* When you click on these links from Twitter.com or a Twitter application, Twitter will log that click. We hope to use this data to provide better and more relevant content to you over time.Thanks for reading this important update. Come and check what’s new at http://twitter.com.
Thanks,
The Twitter Team
In case you don’t want to shuffle through your email to read the rest of the email from twitter, I’ve provided the first update too. It has to do with the way apps access Twitter, I actually think this update sucks because it will make you login to twitter every time you want to access it from an app. I thought apps were supposed to make your life easier?
Update 1: New authorization rules for applications
Starting August 31, all applications will be required to use “OAuth” to access your Twitter account.
What’s OAuth?
* OAuth is a technology that enables applications to access Twitter on your behalf with your approval without asking you directly for your password.
* Desktop and mobile applications may still ask for your password once, but after that request, they are required to use OAuth in order to access your timeline or allow you to tweet.What does this mean for me?
* Applications are no longer allowed to store your password.
* If you change your password, the applications will continue to work.
* Some applications you have been using may require you to reauthorize them or may stop functioning at the time of this change.
* All applications you have authorized will be listed at http://twitter.com/settings/connections.
* You can revoke access to any application at any time from the list.
