code: public String urlDecode(String original)
    {
      try
      {
        return URLDecoder.decode(original, _characterEncoding);
      }
      catch(UnsupportedEncodingException e)
      {
        throw new RuntimeException(e);
      }
    }
docs: Encapsulates the call to decoding a URL so that we don't have to deal
  with the encoding.
  
  @param original the string to decode
  @return the encoded url