Someone should make a URL shortener for verbal transmission. Website addresses, email addresses and sometimes street addresses can be long and difficult to understand over the phone. Twitter shortens URLs basically by storing the long form and using a reference code instead that's supposed to be easier to type because it's shorter. When people are passing on this kind of written information via phone, radio or just face to face, it's a different story, though. Normal URLs and shortened ones are still hard to say and hear. It would help to have a multi-purpose data shortening service that is specifically designed to be easy to say and comprehend verbally. Something that only uses symbols that are audibly unambiguous.
It wouldn't take much. Just avoid letters like "f" and "s", "m" and "n", "b", "d" and "p". So when you're trying to tell someone your email address over the phone, you'd go to this website, type it in, and it would present you with a code like "A5IQZ". You repeat that code over the phone, the person on the other end goes to the website and types it in and is presented with the full email address. After a short time, the code expires and the info is deleted.
Mokalus of Borg
PS - It might have some trouble getting widespread use.
PPS - And dealing with potential privacy issues.
No comments:
Post a Comment