General Discussion

LearnedHand

(3,914 posts) Fri Sep 13, 2024, 05:52 PM Sep 13

210

PSA: How to scrub your URLs before posting and why it matters [View all]

WHY IT MATTERS: I’ll start here. All those weird characters in a URL mean and do something. They are parameters for behavioral and advertising trackers, and they send data to third-party databases for everyone who clicks the link. One reason we become DU star members is to avoid the advertising — and by extension, ad tracking — that otherwise funds DU. Not cleaning the URLs you post sort of subverts that.

HOW TO SCRUB A URL BEFORE YOU POST IT
1. Paste your URL into a DU post while composing but before you post it.
2. Locate the question mark near the front of the URL.
3. Select and delete the question mark and everything after it.
4. Copy the clean URL and paste it over your “dirty” URL.

EXAMPLE DIRTY URL
(URL fixed to not embed the tweet and spaced to show where trackers start) All the BOLD stuff here are the tracking parameters:
https [colon whack whack] x [dot] com/GaryPetersonUSA/status/1834561559210704969 ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1834561559210704969%7Ctwgr%5Ec3db9ef910d3c46e40c0e3ca36296f6015f8dcd7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.miaminewtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fis-trump-having-an-affair-with-laura-loomer-the-far-right-extremist-21281352

SAME URL BUT SCRUBBED
https [colon whack whack] x [dot] com/GaryPetersonUSA/status/1834561559210704969

67 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

PSA: How to scrub your URLs before posting and why it matters [View all] LearnedHand Sep 13 OP

Nice FirstLight Sep 13 #1

It does because these parameter calls are browser-based LearnedHand Sep 13 #4

It's recommended any time, any where you post a URL Random Boomer Sep 14 #52

Thanks for the tip. Dave Bowman Sep 13 #2

Thank you so very much for this. Bookmarked. I couldn't get this to post on fb today. I don't see the trackers. Are mahina Sep 13 #3

This is what I see when I open the link LearnedHand Sep 13 #7

Oh and to your question LearnedHand Sep 13 #9

That video clip is amazing in terms of labelling. What movie is it from? niyad Sep 13 #23

Isn't that a Captain America film? LearnedHand Sep 13 #26

Wait no. It's Avengers: Endgame LearnedHand Sep 13 #27

Thank you. Have never seen any of the Marvel/DC universes films. niyad Sep 13 #28

I've seen all but the MULTIVERSE films LearnedHand Sep 13 #29

I've been doing that for years... Dennis Donovan Sep 13 #5

Exactly! LearnedHand Sep 13 #8

Kick. Rec. Bookmark. Scrubbing URLs.... Hekate Sep 13 #6

thanks.nt moniss Sep 13 #10

Thanks. cachukis Sep 13 #11

Thanks, I didn't know that ms liberty Sep 13 #12

Neither did I! calimary Sep 13 #39

To keep trackers and beacons off your own computer, consider running Ghostery Warpy Sep 13 #13

Another good browser extension is Privacy Badger by Electronic Freedom Foundation LearnedHand Sep 13 #14

Thanks to you, too Warpy Sep 13 #16

"Taking out the trash" is right! LearnedHand Sep 13 #21

I also like NoScript orthoclad Sep 14 #63

It takes a finite number of processor cycles to jump over hurdles orthoclad Sep 14 #65

I live to make life harder for thieves and cheats Warpy Sep 14 #67

Thank you Wild blueberry Sep 13 #15

Thanks for posting. I post about this a lot, but your post is more comprehensive. TwilightZone Sep 13 #17

Honestly, it's hard to do this LearnedHand Sep 13 #19

I guess the answer is to copy the link, paste it, and manually delete all the Igel Sep 13 #42

Another reason - sometimes DU software doesn't render a usable link when there is all that junk progree Sep 13 #18

Exactly right! LearnedHand Sep 13 #22

Thank you Picaro Sep 13 #20

Also works on YouTube videos and social media sites MagickMuffin Sep 13 #24

You're exactly right LearnedHand Sep 13 #25

Somebody posted about this a long time back (when I was just lurking) and the advice helped for a while RidinWithHarris Sep 13 #30

So you're saying... tavernier Sep 13 #31

only ifyou are on firefox lol nt et tu Sep 13 #34

Always helpful, but advertisers don't care LearnedHand Sep 13 #40

Thank you orthoclad Sep 13 #32

I saw that the other day LearnedHand Sep 13 #41

When I do have to break down and get a snarkphone, orthoclad Sep 14 #61

Thanks, I didn't know this! LiberalLoner Sep 13 #33

Thank you. SharonAnn Sep 13 #35

I do that with YouTube links. SleeplessinSoCal Sep 13 #36

book marked.....nt DoBW Sep 13 #37

Re. Scrubbing urls: many thanks. B.See Sep 13 #38

Thanks. Igel Sep 13 #43

It's a shortcut we use in IT when describing URLs LearnedHand Sep 14 #46

ifbyoudelrte the URl ... DoBW Sep 14 #47

This one has no "?" but I believe it's tracking software KS Toronado Sep 14 #44

No I think not actually LearnedHand Sep 14 #45

Yet another reason to use FireFox (nee Mozilla) which has right-click "Copy Link Without Site Tracking" SorellaLaBefana Sep 14 #48

Oh god bagimin Sep 14 #49

Thanx for clarifying that. JohnnyRingo Sep 14 #50

Thank you for the effort... One additional thing: Pluvious Sep 14 #51

Great advice! LearnedHand Sep 14 #60

I use postimage.cc all the time here to post images wolfie001 Sep 14 #53

This looks like a clean URL LearnedHand Sep 14 #62

Thank you!!! wolfie001 Sep 14 #66

Thanks for the tip. generalbetrayus Sep 14 #54

Is there a way to copy an URL to paste elsewhere but make it play on the page instead of going to X? (nt) SidneyR Sep 14 #55

Thanks LearnedHand for this post and FemDemERA Sep 14 #56

Thanks! SalviaBlue Sep 14 #57

Thank you! Very good information. Easterncedar Sep 14 #58

Good point. Good tutorial. Good advice. SpankMe Sep 14 #59

I wondered about that myself LearnedHand Sep 14 #64