So an interested thing happened last night. I had posted a blog entry about how annoyed I was with the quality and type of ads that Digg has been showing over the last couple of weeks. And sent it off to Digg
I didn't really mean for it to go anywhere, I was just venting. But I guess others had gotten tired of the annoying video ads, so it ended up getting voted up. It entered the front page, and was on the "top in 24 hours" in 2 hours.
By 5 PM EST it was in the #1 spot on the Top 10 in All Topics, and by 11 PM it was in the #2 spot for "top in 24 hours", and rising fast.
Around 11:45 PM it was removed.
So, my question is, why? I would guess it had either been buried by users, or Digg itself removed it.
It very well COULD have been buried - a lot of the comments seemed to be thinking the point of the post was about having to look at ads (and from there, pointing on there are ad blockers that could be used). That wasn't the point.
I've been using various forms of Ad blockers for a long time, so am aware of them. I happen to be on a new install and had not gotten around to installing Adblocker (something I did a hour after the first post, as I was really really tired of watching that $@!#$ girl every time I brought up Digg).
The point was the low quality of ads on Digg, almost NSWF, and very distracting. A lot of people want to support the site through ads so don’t install blockers; some don't have a clue about ad blockers (or are using IE). And some can't control what they can install on their machine ('cause they are at work, or are using a public machine or someone else’s machine).
Considering how many people DID support what I was saying, and after seeing the continuing Diggs (I was watching it on Stack), I do have to wondered how a post like that could all of a sudden been buried? It would have probably hit the number 1 spot for 24 hours.
So was it buried or censored by Digg? Did someone at Digg not like the amount of slams they were getting on their partners poor choice of Ads? I realize this is a touchy subject, as the site is getting 100% of their revenue via ads, and they don't want to piss those people off (and as I said before, I SUPPORT Digg using ads – I just would like less intrusive, SFW ads, you know?)
Anyway. I don't really care that much, just thought it was interesting. I haven't had anything I've submitted go up like that before; it was cool, and then disappointing to just have it removed. I really HOPE it wasn't Digg that censored my opinion - if so, then the site has a lot more to worry about then the lousy selection of ads they are running!
22 comments:
Install Adblock Plus, everyone else does. Screw digg, they'll back you up in a controversy if it boosts their corporate brand value. (the dvd unlock code etc.)
Rose is no different than any other corporate zombie. Its just that his worshipers semi-tech-literate kids.
a friend of mind was digging articles about an evil woman named Sue Scheff. he also has a blog about her. They were legit articles and there was nothing with what he was doing. She's been working with "reputation defenders" to get the bad stuff about her off the net. Apparently money talks. Anyway 2 hours after digging the article they not only removed it but the removed his account all together. Fuck Digg! Be sure to digg this! lol
During the AACS key ruckus I was rather disgusted by how Digg was handling the issue I sent an email asking how to delete my account while I was mulling the decision if I wanted to remain a member. I did not ask for deletion just *how*. Without warning they removed it. Of course they left me on their damned mailing list leaving me no way to get off, because i had no account, so they became spammers.
At this point digg is a sham, they have money on their minds and appear to merely holding the pretense of their "mission". Just sell out and retire, your behavior is repulsive
I agree with your article about those ads being "low quality". I myself started using Firefox/Adblock/Flashblock/Noscript to avoid viewing precisely those type of ads popularized by those infamous X10 commercials years ago. I would feel a little embarrassed at work if my officemates see those ads in my workstation at the office.
I agree with some commenters here that digg has gone downhill especially after quite a few articles were published how the owners od digg were trying hard to peddle it to the highest bidder. It looks like they completely sold out and are more after lining their pockets as opposed to cultivating the community that got them on top in the first place.
Isn't the convicted monopolist in charge of ads on digg now? pthhhhhh.
Sorry, but if you don't really care that much, why are you writing in such length about it? Don't like the ads? Don't use Digg. What do you do about television? As far as the content of the ads. It's not porn for goodness sake!
Bottom line. It's a free site so I don't think any of us have the right to say what ads Digg wishes to run. If that doesn't suit one, then I suggest someone try starting their own Digg site and see how they'll support it.
Someone should make article about firefox+adblock and digg it. I didn't even know there are ads on digg until I read this article and specially looked site with ie.
@Slipdisc
I agree with you completely on this one.
@ The people who keep telling others that digg should be able to run whatever ads it wants: good point. But why bury discussion about it?
I am curious though, don't digg stories expire--no matter how many diggs they have--after a time? I saw the no-video ad all day. What about the Beautiful HTML story?
truly ironic that those that run digg forget that their target market is hyper-vigilant to this kind of bullshit censoring...
they've been busted so many times on so many other issues.
You can block ads in IE too. Firefox isn't the only browser that can do more than its base install lets it do.
Well there is this thing called the bury button. I used it on your story (yea sorry its what I do when I don't like something nothing personal). So please stop crying about digg censorship because it was the users not the administrators that 'censored' your story.
Digg is now a freaking business. Businesses make money. I wouldn't want you bashing my ads (which aren't that annoying, learn to Adblock) on the front page of my own site if I were Rose. Digg content is user generated, yes, but that does NOT mean that they will tolerate anything.
So they deleted your story that was just a complete bitch-fest. Stop crying about it and read some nice articles.
"Digg content is user generated, yes, but that does NOT mean that they will tolerate anything."
Until the users revolt like they did before and got things changed. Digg obviously hasn't learned anything from that experience.
Did you think that you story was so important that it would have a permanent spot on the top ten? If you had been on digg for longer a couple of months you might have noticed that every night at around that time upcoming stories move to the front page and the top ten stories get rotated. Digg would be pretty damn boring if the #1 story was the iPhone story with 20,000+ diggs.
I use remote desktop for all my surfing while at work, and I agree, the video ads ruined my RDP session. Anyway, here's a clever way to fix the problem without any third party software/extensions. Works beautifully for me.
http://www.nullamatix.com/easily-block-unwanted-ads-without-3rd-party-software/
Man what a bunch of kid's. I thought this was a more adult site that was here to help people sher information. Apparently it just a bunch of whiny brats. GET OVER IT AND MOVE ON!
I can't be leave I'm even dignifying this with a re spawns.
I think Digg might have jumped the shark with its censorship policy.
I did a post on this awhile back.
http://moneyforjam.blogspot.com/2007/09/breaking-top-five-ways-kevin-rose-and.html
I never see ads on any website, adblock plus has done the job for me.
Socialhttp://www.geekywood.com/2007/10/most-weird-social-networks.html
I think you make a good point about quality of ads
BUT...
Using ad blockers isn't really good option. Ads keep the web free.
Don't use ad blockers.
Kevin steps in with offers of grief counseling:
http://digg.com/tech_news/Traumatized_Nerds_to_Receive_Grief_Counseling
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