Mar 10
Is Microsoft the new colonizing giant of the software industry? Digg users have recently been horrified to learn that their favorite community may soon be annexed to Bill Gates’ vast corporate empire. According to users’ comments, many Digg enthusiasts—most of them die hard Apple fans—are considering deleting their Digg accounts for good if Digg sells out to Microsoft as feared.
To add to their increasing sense of disgruntlement, Diggs users are unhappy that the site is refusing to acknowledge that a takeover by Microsoft is in progress. Co-founder Kevin Rose has not yet publicly stated that he is in negotiations for a $200 million deal with Microsoft, although just about everyone knows what’s up. Digg users have been posting pleading messages and open letters to Rose all over the internet, begging him not to sell out to the corporate giant, but it seems as if all their requests are falling on deaf ears.
Digg users already have quite a reputation for making a fuss over things they dislike, particularly anything that is anti Apple or pro Microsoft, so one could possibly be forgiven for seeing this latest uproar as just another tantrum. Less than a year ago, there was a similar user rebellion at Digg that resulted in many user profiles being deleted, and posts being blocked or removed. This was apparently over a dispute caused by DVD decryption keys being linked to the site. However, rumor is fast turning into fact and it seems as if Digg enthusiasts will soon find themselves forced to choose between remaining loyal to their online community and registering their protests against their least favorite entity invading their online homes.
Digg may also be a little notorious for its Rumors and Speculations section, in which it has controversially suggested in the past, for example, that there are ongoing ‘wars’ between Google and Microsoft, although such theories are usually promptly belied even as they are being promoted. According to Digg CEO Jay Adelson, the company already turned down a bid for $300 million last year, which may seem to undermine the current rumors. However, sources also have it that Google is willing to pay up to $225 million to upstage Microsoft, giving the head honchos at Digg another reason to sell out.
The only ray of hope left for Digg users seems to be that they were ultimately successful in last year’s ‘revolt,’ with the site moderators giving in to the unanimous opinion of the Digg community. Might this happen again, or are Rose and Co too blinded by the color of green to give in to their users’ demands yet again? Digg users could yet gain a small victory if Google wins out over Microsoft in its bid to secure the site, but this is looking less likely by the day. Looks like Kevin Rose is now facing a classic case of Hobson’s Choice: should he remain loyal to those who have remained loyal to him over the years, or should he sell out and become a traitorous but rich man? Only time—and Rose’s conscience—will tell!
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March 10th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
This is just another page in the on going SOAP opera–Google=Microsoft=Yahooo=Digg==Who is the dirtest–Only time will tell=Soap can’t even clean things up==Only $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$=The only thing that matters–Is $$$$$$$$$$$-And it’s not all green anymore==It’s getting to be technicolored=Like some where over the Rainbow–at the end of it is a pot of GOLD!
March 10th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Kevin Rose is going to be really, really, really rich.
Hopefully he’ll use that money to bring back techtv, in which if it does happen, a company will make a bid for techtv, effectively turning it into what g4 is now, sunrise- sunset.
March 10th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Yes, I agree that it is about money. Everything is. However, control is the preliminary steps into getting that pot of gold.
Some of these company’s are making desperate moves to control very risky platforms. Yes, Digg may be big now but who knows - in 6 months it could be on the decline like Ask.com and Tubgirl.com
March 10th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
“Is Microsoft the new colonizing giant of the software industry?”
Are you 10 years old? Check up on MS history and I think you’ll find tactics like this go all the way back to… the founding of the company!
“Might this happen again, or are Rose and Co too blinded by the color of green to give in to their users’ demands yet again?”
Or maybe they grow tired of their unruly user base and see this as a good opportunity to cash out on the business that I’m sure they put together to… you know…. MAKE MONEY? Honestly I doubt they started the site to give all the poor, disenfranchised bored tech workers/college students a safe haven on the web. More likely they saw an opportunity to create a new sort of site that could potentially be very sticky and lucrative; and we’ve now reached the lucrative portion of the game!
March 10th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Well, Digg is already going down hill on its own anyway. It doesn’t need any help from Microsoft to do that. I used to be able to open the front page of digg and find actual news articles on things that mattered. Now the front page is dominated by top ten lists from cracked.com and pictures that have been floating around the anals of the internet for the last decade.
Rose is better off getting out now, while he can still make a buck off of it. More power to him.
March 10th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
I wouldn’t bet anything on rose’s conscience. The evidence being how he feigned being too poor to even buy a couch ( one time long ago on diggnation ) , when he was raking in thousands with adsense on digg.
March 10th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Agreed with Random. Digg frontpage is junk. Good stories never hit the front and those that do get to front are buried by losers. I say Rose sell it as its lossing its power.
May 7th, 2008 at 7:15 am
[...] for a $200 million deal with Microsoft, although just about everyone knows what’s up.”read more | digg [...]