Expand and UnMask URLs Before Clicking

URLs shorteners are used to simplify a complicated URL, for the purpose of sharing.

Shrink it to better fit into Tweets, Instagrams, make it more manageable. For example:

http://keriblog.com/car-talk/driving-a-honda-civic-si-hfp-at-the-niagara-drive-centre/

becomes

http://bit.ly/N8PrR5

Bit.ly, or Google’s goo.gl shortners are popular, good ‘ole TinyURL.

However!

It’s a blind click, just trusting that the URL
goes to where you’re expecting it to

The attack:

Phishing and social media scams use shortened URLs… example: a private message is sent, “Click here to see the photo I posted of you on Facebook!”.

Click the shortened link > hey this isn’t Facebook > it’s a website that just gifted you a virus, or malware.

The defence:

Expand the URL, “unmask it”. Then, decide if you want to click it.

Try LongURL.org or UnmaskURL.com

If your gut makes you pause, listen. Don’t click it.

Infecting your entire system irreparably, can happen with one bad click.

 

 

The Original KeriBlog.com

Founded October 8 2010

It’s still live over at
KeriBlogYES.wordpress.com

First post.

There’s about 5 posts, including:

– playing pool, with a jumpshot video

– that I changed my Twitter name (I’m formerly KeriCDN, eh)

– and an awkward video of me babbling to the camera, about how “Canadian Explorer’ was over, welcome to the all-new KeriBlog lalala

Me on founding day.

Remember in summer 2011, when I amalgamated all my URLs under one umbrella: KeriBLOB.com ahah, that still has legs.

Woah I was on a Blackberry! Remember that browser gah. When did I switch to iPhone wait, probably blogged it brb…

… ya I did – First Post from my iPhone

That’s a video in the middle, re-embedding now.

Bit of a cheap editing trick a bit, but still kinda neat, the page looked just like it. All the sticky-notes were image-mapped wait again, that still may be my ‘About’ page here… brb… … ya it is. Kay that’s bad.

I came across this old blog, while working on the new one.

I have 8 ‘About’ pages to polish now, then sidebar images to amalgamate and create.  Expect a post with a sidebar collage.  It’s all about the sidebar.

 

Didn’t Feel Like it This Weekend

So I didn’t.

Shut my phone off, and drank beer in the country all weekend.

Isn’t that #NoFilter

Can you tell I don’t feel like being on camera?

Drove through some crazy weather Friday to get there, including a rainbow.

Esoterically, a rainbow is considered to represent enlightenment. Imagine if I was.

It was nice to disconnect, and it’s nice to be back online.  It’s also nice to re-affirm you never really miss much when you disconnect, but the benefits are so worth it.

What I’m driving – on Friday I picked up a car I’d been dreaming to have for 14 months.

2013 Honda Accord HFP. It will be documented in its own post.

I’m quite comfortable with it.

It’s on my “Top 5 Favourite Cars” list.

The rest of the list is detailed on my half-finished, “About Cars” page.

I have to finish that about page this week, along with ones for “Blogging about Food”; “Smarten Up, Internet”; “Things I Found Going about Life”; “Now this is more for me than you”; “This is my Hack”; think that’s it.

Then I have to re-direct my URL collection, to which I added to Thursday night:

AnAppropriateAmountOfAggression.com comeON that’s a movie title.

Drove east many kilometres in the afternoon sun, having forgotten to apply sunscreen to my neck because lately I am a super-spaz, and now I am literally a red neck.

Came home late today, laundry and #SundayCleaning, then a walk deep into downtown to reacquaint to the city’s pace; 2 hours and probably 8km.

These flowers are in season.

Same flowers from my intro.

Haven’t re-embedded this in a while, from summer 2007, ‘The Canadian Explorer’ intro:

Filmed almost to-the-week from now.

That’s part of where it comes from, when I don’t document or publish for a few days… I’m like meh, 6 years of archives.

Where this post came from.

Stella while I blog. Remember that time I hosted that Stella party? Seems like a lifetime, but 2 years next month.

Drained; heavy week. Unfortunately didn’t make it to the Le Mons race at Mosport today.

This week’s column is about hacking your car; some meetings this week, a decision to make about that job offer; I have a hankering to go to a casino; and do some no-destination-just-driving in my HFP (which is on my “Top 3 favourite things to do” since I’m 16).  If you hear some superfluous revving this week, wave hi.

TTYT

xo Keri

 

Expanded my URL Collection

I don’t collect anything, never have.  In fact, I’m currently in super-purge-mode, I’ll show you later this week.

URLs though, that’s a weakness.  I now have 40!

Behold:

Come ON how good is that top one?! So good I almost didn’t tell you about it.

I’ve been at this for years.  I keep a list on my phone.  Sometimes when I want to zone out, I sit running seraches, see if they’re available

This is what I bought last time.

 

A big thanks for Hover for enabling my borderline obsession.

$15/year, privacy included, which is a good deal. Plus when you call, someone in downtown Toronto picks up. Hopefully for you Mike picks up. This is Mike. Ha, hi Mike!  It’s still funny :|