Here at ReadWriteWeb, we’re no strangers to URL shortening services. We use them all of the time – and we’re proponents of using something other than TinyURL. But with the vast array of URL shortening services out there, it generally takes something interesting to turn our heads. Now, a new URL shortener called Krunchd has done just that, by providing a feature that has less to do with shortening URLs and more to do with how we communicate with URLs on a regular basis.
Like any number of services out there, Krunchd provides the prerequisite URL shortening functions: a way to customize your link with a memorable phrase (of up to 12 characters), tagging, and, of course, the shortened URL.
What makes Krunchd special is how many URLs it allows you to shorten at once. You see, with Krunchd, you’re not just shortening one URL, you’re crunching (pun intended) an entire list of URLs into one short URL. It’s a concept similar to Agglom. Only instead of using browser tabs, it brings the recipient to a list of URLs you’d like to share.
Example? Let’s say I want to share the Twitter accounts for the RWW writers. Usually, I’d have to send a bunch of separate links, but with Krunchd, it just takes this one URL.
Granted, this isn’t technological rocket surgery, but conceptually, it’s an interesting take on the problem of sharing URLs with your peers. What’s more, it’s taking into consideration the way many of us share URLs today. We’re not always sharing multiple resources, but when we are, this approach makes a great deal of sense.
As an added bonus – given that the service is new – early users also gain the benefit of getting a really short URL. The service is currently auto-generating URLs that only add 2 additional characters to the Krunchd URL.
While the idea is thoughtful, there is one obvious drawback to Krunchd. And it’s something that will likely prevent me from using it: they require you to provide an email address to use the service. There is no privacy policy posted, so I’ve no idea what they’re doing with this information. Even more importantly, I’ve no idea why they think they need it.
That said, the next time you have a bunch of URLs that you have to share, it may be worth giving Krunchd a try – if the email address thing doesn’t bug you.
[UPDATE] Krunchd has removed the email requirement, indicating that it is only necessary if you’re interested in modifying your list of URLs in the future. They have also added a privacy statement.
