"firm links" are special, editor-created links that serve to redirect between nodes. firm links are typically used to link multiple forms of a single name or title to aid searching and ensure that readers find the content that they are seeking. a typical use of firm links would be to permanently link the empty node titled 'usa' to a node titled 'united states of america' that contained writeups about the topic. alternatively, automatic forwarding can be set up for the same thing, in much the same way as forwards exist on wikipedia.