Kevin Gilbertson is an American web developer best known as the creator of TinyURL launched in January 2002.[1][2] TinyURL is a URL shortener, a web service that provides short aliases for redirection of long URLs.[3]
According to Wired, Gilbertson had been riding unicycles since he was a kid, and created TinyURL to convert postings on unicycling newsgroups into Web pages (since fewer people know their way around newsgroups than the Web).[4] Google's AdSense links covered operating costs.
Gilbertson, known by friends as "Gilby," lives in Mexico with his wife. He learned about computers from his father, a software engineer, with whom he also rides unicycles as part of the Twin Cities Unicycle Club.[5]
External links
edit- Kevin Gilbertson's personal website (a link is not reachable as of 12/14/20)
References
edit- ^ Shankland, Stephen (July 6, 2009). "URL shortening is hot--but look before you leap". CNET. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
- ^ LaVallee, Andrew (November 30, 2009). "Trying to Save the Web's Shortcuts". WSJ. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
- ^ Lee, Nicole (March 20, 2008). "10 links to shorten your links". CNET. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
- ^ Katie Dean (2004-03-16). "Honey, I Shrunk the URL". Wired Magazine.
- ^ Gonzalez, Tony (2008-07-08). "Tiny idea, big wheel". The Star Tribune.
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