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I think the problem is that it wasn't low maintenance. The moderation of the links for malicious links was becoming an increasing drain on resources. It's the

I think the problem is that it wasn't low maintenance. The moderation of the links for malicious links was becoming an increasing drain on resources. It's the same problem most large tech services run into eventually.

zinekeller 4y ago
Unfortunately, most people just throw "eh, it's low-maintenance". To bring down the point, here's the source code for that link shortener: https://github.com/technoweenie/guillotine https://github.com/technoweenie/guillotine. It was last updated in 2015. If you don't believe that this is the source code, this was directly linked to in its announcement: https://github.blog/2011-11-10-git-io-github-url-shortener/ https://github.blog/2011-11-10-git-io-github-url-shortener/. If the extreme lag (in an attempt to save the links) is indicative if its backbone, it's probably just running in a single server, which is very likely to be horribly outdated. It might not be due to the cost of removing the malicious links, it might be that Git.io as a platform has a cost in of itself (even excluding common things like domain and hosting costs).
- userbinator 4y ago
  It was last updated in 2015 You just proved the point.
  - zinekeller 4y ago
    ... and you didn't understand the underlying problem, which proves my point of people quickly dismissing "low-maintenance" applications. This isn't a Windows application which still chugs because of immense herculean compatibility made by Microsoft, this application, which was supposed to be quickly installable in Heroku... isn't. That says a lot.
    - maryjpenny 4y ago
      Heroku you say? Could it be related to this? https://github.blog/2022-04-15-security-alert-stolen-oauth-user-tokens/ https://github.blog/2022-04-15-security-alert-stolen-oauth-u... “The applications maintained by these integrators were used by GitHub users, including GitHub itself.”
      - zinekeller 4y ago
        Very unlikely to be honest, especially that there's no private* data present in Git.io. * Technically the links are not publicly listed, which might jeopardise some obnsscure but technically-available repository, but it doesn't store private data.
        maryjpenny 4y ago
        Historical DNS TXT shows that git.io was (and probably still is) hosted on Heroku. From the original post: “due to the security of the links redirected with the current git.io infrastructure” What does “security of the links” even mean? Disclosure? Tampering?
        freemint 4y ago
        Adversaries submitting nasty stuff and have it behind the git brand.
kevin_thibedeau 4y ago
Seems like a good way to discover malicious GH accounts.

zinekeller 4y ago

Unfortunately, most people just throw "eh, it's low-maintenance". To bring down the point, here's the source code for that link shortener: https://github.com/technoweenie/guillotine https://github.com/technoweenie/guillotine. It was last updated in 2015. If you don't believe that this is the source code, this was directly linked to in its announcement: https://github.blog/2011-11-10-git-io-github-url-shortener/ https://github.blog/2011-11-10-git-io-github-url-shortener/. If the extreme lag (in an attempt to save the links) is indicative if its backbone, it's probably just running in a single server, which is very likely to be horribly outdated. It might not be due to the cost of removing the malicious links, it might be that Git.io as a platform has a cost in of itself (even excluding common things like domain and hosting costs).

userbinator 4y ago
It was last updated in 2015 You just proved the point.
- zinekeller 4y ago
  ... and you didn't understand the underlying problem, which proves my point of people quickly dismissing "low-maintenance" applications. This isn't a Windows application which still chugs because of immense herculean compatibility made by Microsoft, this application, which was supposed to be quickly installable in Heroku... isn't. That says a lot.
  - maryjpenny 4y ago
    Heroku you say? Could it be related to this? https://github.blog/2022-04-15-security-alert-stolen-oauth-user-tokens/ https://github.blog/2022-04-15-security-alert-stolen-oauth-u... “The applications maintained by these integrators were used by GitHub users, including GitHub itself.”
    - zinekeller 4y ago
      Very unlikely to be honest, especially that there's no private* data present in Git.io. * Technically the links are not publicly listed, which might jeopardise some obnsscure but technically-available repository, but it doesn't store private data.
      - maryjpenny 4y ago
        Historical DNS TXT shows that git.io was (and probably still is) hosted on Heroku. From the original post: “due to the security of the links redirected with the current git.io infrastructure” What does “security of the links” even mean? Disclosure? Tampering?
        freemint 4y ago
        Adversaries submitting nasty stuff and have it behind the git brand.

kevin_thibedeau 4y ago

Seems like a good way to discover malicious GH accounts.