www.snipurl.com
 is a site by which you simplify long URLs (web address) into shorter and more meaningful names. So here is what Joel did. 
-He has a webpage: 

http://www.ewingsnet.com/documents/Presentations/TenThings.HTML. 
-He copied that address into a 'The Long URL' box at 
www.snipurl.com.
-He then clicked on the 'Snip it!' button and it generated an abbreviated web address: 
http://snipurl.com/3s1nd
-He then entered the nickname 'somethings' for this address and the final result was 
http://snipurl.com/somethings
 or even further abbreviated as 
 http://snurl.com/somethings

You do not have to own the webpage to create a snipurl or snurl address.

Try it.

The only downside is that, I believe, snipurl or snurl links have a finite life before they become obsolete or reusable by some other long address.

Fred Kagel