Is Digg Imploding
Today Digg was seeing some serious user dissatisfaction. Kevin Rose’s response at the link above doesn’t seem to be quieting matters down any.
Will the 60 gazillion dollar wonder child soon be the $6.00 has been?
Update and Clarification:
Unfortunately I tried to dash this story out very quickly and I wasn’t very clear in what is going on at digg.
In a nutshell a couple of users noticed that a select groups of diggers seemed to have a disproportionate amount of power in determining what stories made it to the front page. When this was pointed out there were claims made of retaliation by banning, and burying of stories.
Yesterday Kevin Rose published an announcement on the digg blog (linked above) that an algorithim change would be made to help end such abuse. Response was immediate. Most user’s were supportive although a sizable minority were still dissatisfied:
“Accusing me of “bootstrapping” with others is not only asinine, it’s fucking irresponsible. If you pride yourself on reading every article you digg, how about priding yourself on reading what I’ve actually dugg before you blindly assume I’m part of some big fucking conspiracy.”
and after the article by Kevin Rose made the front page while others on the same subject didn’t:
Indeed what a prime example of how Digg is fucked. Digg me down and deffend him all you guys want but it needs work. If this right here isn’t proof enough, what is?
In other words there is a little bit of resentment brewing.
To make things even better today the top digger announced he was leaving, with this comment:
Dear Mr. Rose: So all of a sudden, my use of the BUILT-IN functionality of Digg amounts to gaming?
I ignored Digg’s ice-cold level of support during the Netscape transition. Instead I stayed with Digg – for nothing.
I ignored Jay’s jack-ass condescending T-Shirt comment.
I ignored the misbegotten algorithm you all put in place shortly after that that made it MISERABLY hard for any user to get to the front page (which is a big factor in this whole issue)
I overlooked all the red ink about I/we were FOOLS to digg so hard for you – the 60 Million Dollar Man.
I overlooked the Trademark fiasco and the treatment of Digg’s users
I overlooked this: http://digg.com/music/EMI_in_free_music_downloads_deal and
But I will NOT overlook your tacit equation of BUSTING MY ASS for Digg with gaming.
As a direct result of your blog this evening. I will no longer no supporting Digg going forward. I bequeath my measly number one position to whoever wants to reign.
And for all of you that do nothing but bitch about your being PREVENTED from getting your stories dugg – here’s your chance! Now YOU can spend all the time, all the effort and get stabbed in the back by fellow Diggers (aptly named) and then tossed to the side by a Digg team that values toilet paper with more worth than the core users that feed this site it’s content every day.
I believe you to be a good man, Kevin. Well intentioned or not: your blog satisfied malcontents equipped with baseless allegations while you effectively urinated on your top diggers (correction: top gamers). I wish you well. I will be turning over the Digg Users Support Group to someone else.
To my many friends – I will miss you.
P9
Personally I visit digg at least once a day and comment occasionally; I like the idea of the site but recently I have noticed a decrease in quality (purely subjective just my own point of view) so I thoroughly support the algorithim changes. Unfortunately after an episode like this sites that rely on a “community” are rarely as strong.
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October 6th, 2006 at 12:54 pm
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