Quote from: Xch4ng3 on July 11, 2013, 11:44:42 AM

Quote from: pc on July 09, 2013, 07:11:50 PM

Vanitygen gives you an address as well as the corresponding private key in WIF format (starting with a 5, K, or L). In order to import it into Bitcoin-Qt, go into the Console (Help, Debug Window, Console) and type in importprivkey where is that private key you got. It'll take a couple minutes (seriously, it could take a while) while it goes through the blockchain to see if that address ever received any coins, and then it should be a part of the wallet and show up in your list of address on the Receiving tab.

To get a "firstbits" address (which I'm assuming is what you mean by "short"), send some coins to it, wait for several confirmations, and then look them up on a site like blockchain.info. I'm not aware of a tool that finds the firstbits by looking at one's local blockchain, though there probably is one out there somewhere.

Am I right in saying that anyone with the private key can import the address into their client?

Yes. You need to keep it secret. Everyone who has the key can spend any coins you have at the address.