Digging for Trouble
Once again, rumors abound over the possible sale of Digg. If you follow what’s happening in technology startups, then you’re aware that this type of rumor concerning Digg crops up every few months Unlike those previous rumors, there is the appearance that this particular rumor has more credence than others…according to Michael Arrington.
Whether Digg is for sale or is on the verge of being acquired doesn’t really matter that much to me. I login to my Digg account periodically, but more often than not, months will go by before I visit the site. The site just isn’t as compelling for me as it once was; however, the same can’t be said for thousands of other users. Some are threatening an outright revolt. They are threatening to leave Digg (especially if Microsoft is the buyer) and jump ship to another competitor (Reddit, Propeller, etc.) if Jay Adelson and Kevin Rose “sells out and cashes out.” Have any of these Digg users speaking out against the alleged sale considered that Adelson and Rose are ready to move on to something else? Did they think Rose started Digg as a gathering place for fanboys to congregate? Last time I checked, Digg is not a non-profit; it’s a for-profit business. Anyone who goes into business may want to work for themselves and/or do something they’re passionate about, but they also want to make money.
Frankly, I don’t care what they do. It’s their business (literally), and they can do what they want with it. However, many Digg users don’t feel the same. They believe they “own” the site by providing content, and that if they whine enough, Digg will cave as they have done before. This sense of “entitlement and ownership” around Digg (or any other service) is the problem with the whole “wisdom of the crowds” philosophy. It’s a good idea in theory, but it’s a bad idea in practice.