So you want to learn more about the NOTSHORT ?

The Story Behind This Weird Idea

Hey there! I’m Kavin, a BTech IT graduate with too much time and not enough common sense. During what should have been a relaxing holiday break, my brain decided that what the internet really needed was the exact opposite of a URL shortener. Because why make things more efficient when you can make them hilariously complex?

The Dream Team

Our Tech Stack (Yes, We Used Real Technology)

NotShort is built with these awesome tools:

• Astro - For super fast website building
• TypeScript - Because we like our code organized just like our long URLs
• Supabase - Taking care of our database, login system, and server stuff
• UnoCSS - Making our site look nice with simple styling tools

Why Make URLs Longer? (Why Not?!)

Everyone’s trying to make things shorter these days. URL shorteners? Boring! Everyone’s doing that! But URL lengtheners? That’s something new that nobody asked for!

Our goal is simple: take normal URLs and turn them into super long links that are fun to share and impossible to type by hand.

How It Started

The idea for NotShort came during a boring holiday break. Instead of doing something useful like learning new stuff or going outside, I thought the world needed something silly and fun. And so, NotShort was born – made from boredom, with love.

How We Built It

Building this site was fun, with help from:

• AI Helpers: GitHub Copilot (Claude 3.7 Sonnet, GPT-4.1) and Roo Code (Gemini 2.5 Pro API)
• Starting Template: The “Naid” template from Astro’s website, which we changed from a portfolio into our site
• Design Idea: “If it makes you laugh, it’s good”
• When Things Break: “Try turning it off and on again”

Future Plans (If People Use This)

We’re using Supabase’s free plan right now, which has some limits. If more people start using our site, we want to:

• Let you choose how long your URLs should be
• Make URLs with words about topics you choose
• Use AI to make even funnier URLs
• Add a paid plan to help pay for our servers

Want the Full Story?

Curious about our tech stack and development journey? Check out our detailed blog post for the complete behind-the-scenes look!

Link Policy

At NotShort, we handle links in a special way:

1. One URL, One Long Link Per Account: To save space and keep things running smoothly, each original URL can have one long version per account!

2. Sharing Is Caring: If you try to make a long URL for a link someone else already made, we’ll show you the existing long URL instead of making a new one.

3. Credit Where It’s Due: When you see an existing long URL, we’ll show you who made it first.

4. Why We Do This: This approach helps us:

   • Use less database space
   • Keep links consistent
   • Stop spam
   • Keep the service free

We think this is the best way to keep our silly link service fun and working well for everyone.

Terms of Use

When using NotShort, please:

1. Be Nice: Don’t use our service for anything harmful, illegal, or mean.

2. Don’t Break It: Please don’t try to overload or hack our site.

3. No Guarantees: We try our best, but can’t promise the service will always work perfectly.

4. Have Fun: That’s what this site is for!

FAQ

What is NotShort?

NotShort makes your short links really, really long. It’s the opposite of a URL shortener!

Is this free?

Yes! We’re currently free to use. If we grow a lot, we might add premium features.

Can I customize my long URLs?

Not yet, but we’re planning to add this feature soon!

Why would anyone want longer URLs?

Why not? They’re fun, surprising, and definitely more memorable than boring short URLs!

How long do the links last?

Forever! Or at least until our service shuts down (which we hope never happens).

I found a bug, what should I do?

Please let us know by contacting us or opening an issue on our GitHub page!