Url shortener integration

Hello,
One of my website was using url shortener "taken.to", but since yesterday night, it seems that site is down, so of course it generates php errors on my pages.

basically, my php code looks like this :

function insert_get_short_url($a)
{
    global $conn, $config;
    $SPID = intval($a['PID']);
    $sshort = stripslashes($a['short']);
    $SSEO = stripslashes($a['SEO']);
    $shortdamn_url = $config['baseurl']."/".$SSEO;
    if($SPID > 0)
    {
        if($sshort == "")
        {
            $takenurl =  file_get_contents("http://www.taken.to/shortdamn.php?url=".$shortdamn_url);
            if($takenurl != "")
            {
                $sshort = str_replace("http://www.taken.to/", "", $takenurl);
                if($sshort != "")
                {
                    $query = "UPDATE posts SET short='".mysql_real_escape_string($sshort)."' WHERE PID='".mysql_real_escape_string($SPID)."'";
                    $conn->execute($query);
                    $rme =     "http://www.taken.to/".$sshort;
                }
            }           
        }
        else
        {
            $rme =     $sshort;
        }
    }
    return $rme;
}

PHP:

I wonder if there is another url shortener that would have the same url base ?

or how can i replace it with another good url shortener service that wouldnt crash.

I was thinking to create a subdomain and install its own url shorten script, but i'm not sure.

 

What legitimate reason for using an url shortener on a web page could there possibly be?

 

i asked myself the same, i only noticed this url shortener now, because after all these years , i got php errors, just yesterday.

 

I don't see the point - only place I know of where an url-shortener really comes in handy is places where you can't actually write the link content yourself (very few places), or on Twitter.

 

Google has a url shortner with an awsome API. goo.gl

https://developers.google.com/url-shortener/?hl=en

 

If all you have stored is their shortcut, you may very well be up **** creek once that shortener goes AWOL. Unless you also stored the actual URL locally, you're pretty well shtupped.