Today I received an email from a customer who was looking for a Domino based URL shortener and I was wondering if any of you could help them with some guidance:
Hi Bruce,
Are you aware of any Domino based URL shorteners that do the following:
Core Requirements
- Shortens URLs
- Customise a short URL
- Does not require authentication
- Provides metrics on click throughs (like on bit.ly where you add a “+” to the URL to get metrics)
- Share button / bookmarklet that shortens the URL and creates a web page with the link
- Has an API (JSON would do) for other services to send long URLs and retrieve short URLs, call for metrics on short URLs etc.
Desirable
- Reserve custom URLs – e.g., “Bank CEO” etc..
- Gathers IP addresses to determine location of users
- Determines browser type
- Determines OS type
- Admin interface to manage the above.
I have seen http://xpag.es – this seems close but doesn’t do the metrics, custom URLs, API etc.. We currently have something on a dev server but it is based on OS software and we have a strict policy on using such tools. We would like a quick win – something we can put onto our Domino servers to provide an analogous service. Please let me know – I am hoping you may have something available (LinkJam does too much and doesn’t seem to shorten the URL), or you may know of something from your network.
Please let me know if you know of such an application or would be willing to offer your services to code one up.
Bruce Elgort 
I haven’t looked at it closely but what about VeryShort project on OpenNTF?
http://www.openntf.org/internal/home.nsf/project.xsp?action=openDocument&name=VeryShort
OpenNTF has http://www.openntf.org/internal/home.nsf/project.xsp?action=openDocument&documentId=126A6847529FFA0A86257A1100820320
I will second the suggestion to have a look at VeryShort by Serdar Basegmez – available on OpenNTF. It does not live up to all the requirements but the project is open source, so these requirements are valuable input for future releases of the project.
You can try the demo at the OpenNTF dev server at http://dev.openntf.org/demos/veryshort.nsf/recentLinks.xsp
Actually I have a version of XPag.es does have custom URLs, an API, and does track statistics (if you are an authenticated user) – I just havent published it yet. If they are interested, have them contact me.
Actually, I have a soon to be published version of XPag.es that does everything they want (except I require authentication if you want to track your shortened URL) – if there is interest, just contact me.