Links are a frequent issue for many of us - because we are being tracked all over the internet with a

[summer_in_TX]

lot of extra junk tacked on after the main link. But we don't always know how to get rid of the junk without breaking the link.

Those cookies tell them how many come from any given social media, often allowing them to target you with advertising, while boosting the site's numbers and making them more attractive to web advertisers.

If you'd rather not be tracked, here's what to do.

Many main links end in a forward slash. Everything after that can and should be deleted. (To make sure you haven't cut something essential, you can always paste the newly shortened link into a web browser and see if it works to bring up the article or website you wanted to share.)

Other main links end in .html or .ph or .php. Everything after that can go. Frequently the tracking code will begin with a question mark. Look for that and delete it and everything after it. Then test what remains to make sure it still works.

[eppur_se_muova]

1. Somtimes fixes links that won't show in DU, too.

If you find a super-long URL that has http:// or https:// in it TWICE, usually with one in parentheses, you can get rid of everything before second one (including the parenthesis). These often results from searches in Google.

[summer_in_TX]

2. You may need the http:// or https:// in a URL twice, if the URL is to an archived article.

That can get you around the paywall.

A lot of times, yes, you can get rid of it.

[eppur_se_muova]

3. Thanks for that added clarification. nt