Interesting Reads:

» Another Digg Revolt?

» Digg Is A Game, Let’s Play Ball

» Have Diggers Had Enough?

» The Digg Algorithm Change

» Revolt to Resolution in 12 Hours

» Kevin Rose & Jay Adelson Respond to Digg Complaints

» The Lulled Digg Revolution

wow. that is all I can really say…. wow!

It all started about a week or so ago. I heard a rumor that a few top diggers were not happy, especially with recent Algorithm Changes on Digg. And for the record, I am right there with them… As a frequent submitter and self-proclaimed member of the middle-class of digg, I thought that the algo changes were a bit excessive and harsh.

But, I just thought it would even out. We would all bounce back. I never thought things would blow up, as a result of these changes!

So, this is how the Great Digg Revolt of 2008 went down. I’m not gonna mention who, but somebody created & posted on this blog. I was one of the first to get it and after heavy consideration, I decided to comment on it. The post was beautifully written, and I completely agree with everything that was said.

I was under the impression that this blog post was somewhat secretive, and only certain (trusted) diggers had access to it. But then I saw a link pop up on my twitter. Then, the IM Avalance started. Random people also saw the twitter post, started freaking out, and sending me, among others, a link to the post.

Then, somebody posted this story on digg. More IM’s. People were genuinely concerned, shocked & worried, all at the same time. I know I was. Because the rumor was that ALL top submitters & MOST frequent submitters were basically going to jump ship.

Could you imagine this scenario? The same members who made digg what it is today, all walking away at the same time!? I don’t care what anyone says, if the frequent submitters all jump ship at the same time, the digg community would have a very tough time surviving. It certainly wouldn’t be worth the estimated $300 Million. I don’t see digg surviving something like that.

An emergency Drill Down session was called. I was there. It was kinda weird seeing everyone that you follow, all in the same chat room, all at the same time. The comments were HILARIOUS!!

Basically, after a very LONG discussion, this is what came out of it:

1) Lack of communication and disregard for the Digg community
2) Unexplained and unacknowledged banning of top users
3) Lack of transparency — Digg only shows you the stories that people have dugg, but not the ones that are buried.
4) The Auto-Bury list - For months, dozens of sites have been on an auto-bury list, often with no explanation whatsoever.
5) Repeated and flagrant disrespect of its top user

I can see both sides of the coin. On one hand, you want to make it easier for newbies to make it to the front. That’s completely understandable, but there has to be a way to do that without completely punishing those who have contributed to the digg community for so long. Otherwise, you’re gonna find the digg community suddenly walking away.

But, No matter where you stand on this issue. Things are changing on digg. And I’m not forecasting a good change. It would be very wise for Kevin Rose & Jay Adelson to address these issues very soon, not just talk about it on the Drill Down, but actually make tangible & noticeable changes. That is the only way that they can protect digg from collapsing on top of itself.

That time is here. That time is now. The ball is in your court Kevin. Please don’t fuck this up!