Gnip to power 301works.org

Every once in awhile there are opportunities to make a real difference in the industry.   301works.org is just such an opportunity for Gnip and the companies we are teaming up with to launch a very needed independent URL mapping directory service.

First, many thanks to Adjix, awe.sm, betaworks, bit.ly, Cligs,  URLizer, and urlShort who have joined with us to launch this new organization.  And. you can read the actual 301works announcement that is posted on Gnip.com

Why is Gnip involved?  We are part of the Internet software community and most of us are also active social media users.   While there is debate on the pros and cons of short URLs in some parts of the industry it is obvious that over the last few years there has been a huge growth in the adoption of short URL formats across the web and increasingly custom short URLs are being used by businesses and individuals.

People generate short URLs everyday and they need to know that these mappings will continue to function as they were intended when generated, that their mappings will be available for them to use in the future, and that their privacy preferences will be respected. With short URL formats having reached general acceptance by millions of users in their daily activities there was a need for the industry to ensure the connections provided by these mappings exist over time.

In providing the technology to power the 301works solution Gnip is ensuring that the social connections and data represented by the millions of URL mappings done everyday continue to be available across the web.

We are thrilled to be able to participate and to do our part in helping sustain and grow an open web.