How far can some people go when it comes to innovating in the field of URL shortening? This site shows that some might just cross the line and come up with something that (while original) does not really accommodate the needs of those who will actually be using the service.
The concept that lies at the heart of Xa.
ly is that of making money by shortening links and sharing them. That is accomplished by having a window with an ad displayed after the user has clicked on the shortened link, and before he has landed on the page that he is meant to be redirected to. You (the one who shortened the link) receive $0.003 per unique visitor that actually clicks on the shortened URL and views the ad.
In practice, a system like this one is quite infuriating for visitors. I am the first to commend URL shorteners that try to break from the mold, and I do praise this one up to a certain (and limited) point. But the fact remains nobody would feel comfortable with something so intrusive like this around.
Xa.ly In Their Own Words
“Xa.ly is a new service that lets you shortern links and earn from sharing them!”
Why Xa.ly It Might Be A Killer
It brings a different element into a well-known equation, as sharing links becomes a remunerated task.
Some Questions About Xa.ly
How many people will go for this? Won’t most people find something like this extremely annoying? 
