Bit.ly is a NY based company launched in Aug 2007 that shortens URLs. A must-have to anyone posting regularly on Twitter and other microblogging platforms.
What´s interesting about Bit.ly as opposed to say Digg and other URL shorteners is that the process of shortening a URL using Bit.ly also generates some very interesting data on the real-time popularity of links. Unlike Digg for example, which relies on the flawed process of human voting to determine a front page article, Bit.ly is a distributed link service, so much harder to game. To generate real-time data on your link´s popularity, you can put a “+” on the end of any bit.ly URL, and see the speed at which it is being shared and clicked on by users of social networks.
Bit.ly shortens around 7m URLs per day, 2-3m of which are “new” – ie. they haven´t been previously shortened. Bit.ly Now was announced yesterday, and will open the data up to web users. There are many different ways in which this data could be applied. For example working with Bit.ly Now to produce a real time data feed of a campaign landing page´s popularity. Since Bit.ly can also track the acceleration of clicks from the social web, users can make incremental changes ot a campaign page and see how effectively they connect with users.

Som de fleste andre selskaper i dette landet avvikler vi ferie i juli. Men for at du som kunde selvsagt skal få den service du forlanger, tar du kontakt med oss etter følgende plan:

Uke 28 tar du kontakt med vaktansvarlig Russell, tlf: 948 09 797

Uke 29 og 30 er det Siv som har vakt, tlf:  411 74 662.

Fra uke 31 er vi alle tilbake som normalt.

Til alle dere av våre kunder vil vi si takk for de første seks månedeme med masse spennendes og morsomme oppdrag, og vi vil passe på å ønske dere en flott sommer!

The ever fascinating John Hagel of EdgePerspectives has a new article out in Harvard Business Review called Shaping Strategies.

He suggests that shaping perceptions about the attractiveness of markets may be a more effective reponse to uncertainty than trying to adapt a business model.

The article explores examples of successful shaping strategies in industries as diverse as shipping, apparel, financial services and high tech.

Hagel claims that 3 key elements come together in these strategies;

1. a compelling shaping view to provide focus for investment by participants

2. a powerful shaping platform that provides economic leverage for participants

3. a set of acts and assets by the shaper to communicate conviction and capability to potential participants.

As Hegel makes clear, not everyone can be a shaper, but all companies need to make explicit choices on this front. If they choose not to be a shaper, they need to understand the shaping strategies that are in play in their relevant markets and make choices about what role to play in the shaping strategies of others.

You can download the article here

Facebook has made 2 very smart moves in the last 3 weeks.

1. Opening up to OpenID, which gives Facebook access to Google/GMail users
2. Introduction of “vanity” URLs (custom user names), which helps to lock in the vast numbers of casual web users for whom Facebook is ther dominant channel.

Facebook inherits a short term data processing headache – how to harvest and sort all those new GMail account users, but it´s made itself that much more indispensible as curator of your digital identity.