Are URL shorteners banned on SO? I have had several of my questions edited and the URL shortener removed. (I am using TinyURL.com.) Are there reasons for this or is it solely so a person can edit the question? I am using the URL shorteners because the site is in development and I do not want any...

They're not banned. We just hate them. We really, really hate them. Persistent use of short URLs in your posts is a good way to get the attention of editors and moderators. Editing to replace them with canonical URLs is both acceptable and encouraged.