I always use bit.ly to shorten my URLs for Twitter, mainly because of the real-time statistics it provides. It also tells me where the short URL has been recycled in another person’s tweet.

Like all on-line utilities, there are times when maintenance is required. One gets used to these services being always available, so it’s natural (even though they’re free) to feel slightly aggrieved when sites go down. It’s hard to be angry, however, when presented with a message like the one below!