Question about how tinyurl works: do the links work forever?

[Ladyhawk]

I'm assuming that tinyurl somehow compresses a larger URL, using one symbol for a series of symbols. If so, it should work forever; however, I noticed (or thought I noticed) that when I input a long link which I'd used before, tinyurl changed...or at least I thought it did. This made me wonder if tinyurl actually stores requests in some sort of database. Or perhaps they changed the algorithm for compressing URLs.

Anyone know?

[Ladyhawk]

1. Um: kick! n/t

[Benfea]

2. I avoid using TinyURL myself

Here's the problem: I prefer that people can see the final URL when they hover over any link I provide. An unscrupulous person could use Tiny URL to direct you to something really nasty, or some place where you could pick up adware, spyware, or other malware. By letting other people see the final URL for themselves, they can decide on their own whether or not they want to click on it.

I know I'm being really anal.