Twitter shutting down video-looping app Vine; co-founder tweets, ‘Don’t sell your company!’

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Vine
(Via Vine app)

Vine, the video-looping app from Twitter that has been providing 6-second bursts of entertainment for users since 2013, is going away. The news was announced in a blog post from the company on Thursday.

The post, signed by Team Vine and Twitter, said that Vine would not die immediately, but that the mobile app would be discontinued in the coming months. The website featuring an endless assortment of looping videos of people and pets and much more, will stay online.

Twitter acquired Vine in 2012, along with its three co-founders. Buzzfeed reported in October 2015 that Rus Yusupov was among those hit in a round of layoffs. On Thursday, Yusupov relayed one bit of advice in a very telling tweet:

Vine thanked the creators who took a chance on the app in the crowded social media marketplace, the team that built the app and the fans who came to view videos.

“We value you, your Vines, and are going to do this the right way,” the blog post said. “You’ll be able to access and download your Vines.”

The news comes as Twitter announced during its Thursday morning earnings report that it was cutting approximately 9 percent of its workforce. The company made no mention of Vine in its earnings release or its letter to shareholders.

On Twitter, Vines quickly surfaced marking the demise of Vine. Some people expressed surprise that it was even still being used while others mourned its passing by sharing favorite loops.

https://twitter.com/jbouie/status/791680647974838272

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