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Sparkle (1)
The URL shortening service bit.ly announced Bit.ly Bundles on their blog today. Now, instead of sending one link with a shortened URL, you can send a whole bundle of links.
When you click the bundled link, it opens up in a special Bit.ly Bundles page where you get a rich media preview of every link in the bundle. Here's an example suggested by bit.ly using this URL: http://bit.ly/9kfiz3. It links to Jauntsetter's Best of Washington D.C.
This is a way to aggregate, curate, and organize a variety of information on a topic. A bundle of links to your best Thanksgiving recipes, multiple links to the latest announcement from Apple, multiple links to the hottest news in shoelaces – whatever – you get the idea. You click the link, you go the the Bundle page, you choose what you want to read in full.
The Bundle page has a comment box for reactions from people who use the page. And stats showing how many times the page has been viewed.
Nice. Cool, even.
Cool, provided you're one of the people who don't mind clicking on shortened URLs. Since a shortened URL doesn't tell you much about where the link will take you, many people are wary of them. Now the shortened URL can blindside you with even more mystery links. What's your opinion on that?
How to Use It
Want to make a bundle of links?
To make a Bit.ly Bundle, go to bit.ly and register. It's free, it's easy. As a registered user, you can create bundles of links.
Enter your links in a form, then click Bundle. A new page opens where you add titles and other material to your bundle. On this page, you can add or remove links, rearrange links, add titles and descriptions. Then view it or share it. I made a bundle called "Places to Watch Web Series Programs." Click the link to see the Bundle page. The link I just used is the shortened bit.ly link, which is quick to copy as an option on the bit.ly page. The Share button lets me tweet the link or share to Facebook.
All you need is to register and have an idea for some links you'd like to share in a bundle. Very easy.
Some Blogoshpere Reactions
Jolie O'Dell at Mashable said,
This is a highly useful feature with an almost endless string of use cases.
Chris Pirillo said,
However, there’s never really been an easy way to share multiple links at once – until now. Bit.ly Bundles can be easily shared with a bit.ly short link on your favorite sites like Twitter and Facebook.
The Bit.ly Bundle page reminds me of what you see when you use paper.li to create a paper from a Twitter list. It's meant to look good and be engaging. As Geek.com points out,
Bit.ly wants the Bundle page to be a destination, not just a launch pad to other sites. So at the bottom of the page under the links is a comments section so people can add their thoughts and add value to the page beyond the links. They may even include other Bundle links relating to the subject matter.
What do you think? Are you going to give it a try?
Virginia DeBolt blogs at Web Teacher and First 50 Words
