>>>> An immensely valuable service - essentially a manual
>>>> DNS system :-).

>>> It does not provide mapping between IP addresses and
>>> Host names. It just maps a parameter string (in your
>>> case "RussellsWeddingPhotos") into the web link, stored
>>> in the database, and redirects to the link. It does not map
>>> the link into IP address, becouse that's none of a web
>>> server business, =A0I'm sure.

> If you use a computer term - use it correctly, or don't use it at all,
> that's it.

Arguably good advice.

I'll reciprocate - Take note of words used as modifiers in English and
understand how they apply.
That's serious advice. I don't know your primary language or how the
relevant rules apply.

But NB how a system achieves an end and what it achieves are often
orthogonal or very nearly so. And, I consider, that's the case here.
See point by point list of key features of a DNS system below.

In the above the key term that makes a difference is "essentially".
While various dictionaries will give you slightly different slants and
perspectives on this, the common usage meaning is something like.
                   "For practical purposes this achieves the same result as=
 ..."

Add to that "manual" and you have a reasonable (IMHO,AE) indication of
the functionality achieved.

It would be wrong to say that it WAS a DNS system or that it replaced
a DNS system.
But I'm of the opinion, FWIW, that the majority of English speakers
would  understand the phrase in the context that it was used.

Also, also FWIW, the first paragraph of eg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_Name_System very largely would be
true of the service provided by tinyurl.com (or bit.ly).
ie it seems to "essentially" provide all these features, including the
one that they prefix "Most importantly".

- The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical naming system for
computers, services, or any resource connected to the Internet or a
private network.
- It associates various information with domain names assigned to each
of the participants.
- Most importantly, it translates domain names meaningful to humans
into the numerical (binary) identifiers associated with networking
equipment for the purpose of locating and addressing these devices
worldwide.
- An often-used analogy to explain the Domain Name System is that it
serves as the "phone book" for the Internet by translating
human-friendly computer hostnames into IP addresses.
- For example, www.example.com translates to 192.0.32.10. DNS is also
known as a distributed database that provides mapping between IP
addresses and Host names.


 R

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