Can you believe that http://1089059683/ is a web address that links to google? It's not a domain with tld nor an ip format yet it goes to google. Duh!
It depends on your browser really... All it is really is a numeric representation of 64.233.187.99. (64 * 256[sup]3[/sup]) + (233 * 256[sup]2[/sup]) + (187 * 256) + 99 = 1089059683
To tell you the truth, I never heard of it before either and didn't know a web browser would go to a integer representation of an IP address until this thread. But looking at the number in the URL from the first post, it was pretty clear to me that's what it was... and sure enough, I did the math and I was right.
I did some search and found this http://www.phpfreaks.com/forums/index.php/topic,113614.msg461828.html#msg461828 Which is a function that does the math automatically. I have to agree that now the strange thing is that browsers are set to understand such urls. At least for firefox 3 which I'm using.
Ah... so it's Windows stupidity. That explains why it doesn't do it on my computer (not using Windows).
Actually see it quite often in spam. Used as a redirection url. Guess since we actually have redirection services that are more popular now, other don't see it as much anymore. Rather surprised to see so many folks who, um, work in "marketing" who have, um, never seen it before.