Socialnews | Soshable | Social Media Blog

Pwned: The StumbleUpon Digg Experiment Initial Results

September 5, 2008 by JD Rucker 23 Comments

First, a disclaimer about this experiment and the analysis.

In retrospect, this experiment was flawed. The subject matter and style of delivery was very clearly geared in favor of one of the combatants. When it was initially conceived, it was decided that the experiment would best be delivered through a post that announced itself. By checking traffic statistics on a post titled: “The StumbleUpon Digg Experiment”, there would be equal billing, equal exposure, and most importantly, equal chances through the delivery methods to give both sides a chance.

We were wrong. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Digg, Social Internet, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, StumbleUpon Tagged With: Blogs, Digg, internet, marketing, Social Media, Social News Sites, socialmedia, socialnews, StumbleUpon

Front Page Addiction: Destroying Families, Ruining Lives

August 31, 2008 by JD Rucker 20 Comments

*** As my first real parody piece, I am moving this up in the blog to see if it gets more comment luv. ***

A little-known but dangerous epidemic is spreading across members of social media websites like Digg, Reddit, Propeller, Newsvine, and Mixx. Like a secret scourge, SM-FPA (social media front page addiction) isn’t making national headines yet, but the effects have been felt in thousands of households across the world.

“Ever since my wife’s submission hit the front page of Reddit last month, we only see her on the way to the bathroom,” said Jake Dixon. His wife Amber, better known as “diggwho”, made the front page of Reddit with a story titled Bush makes more people mad by saying something stupid. Since then, Amber has been submitting 15-25 stories per day and has a submission hit the front page 3-5 times per week. She declined to be interviewed.

Research scientists at the Social Media Institute of Technology (SMIT) in Kolkata, India, say that Mr. Dixon and his family are not alone. They have documented 342 confirmed cases of SM-FPA in 2007 and estimate the actual number in the thousands. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Social Internet, Social Marketing, Social Media Tagged With: advertising, business, Digg, internet, marketing, Mixx, Propeller, Reddit, smm, social bookmarks, Social Media, Social Networks, Social News Sites, socialbookmarking, socialmedia, socialnetworking, socialnews, stumble, StumbleUpon

The StumbleUpon Digg Experiment

August 29, 2008 by JD Rucker 83 Comments

(The results are in. Read them at StumbleUpon vs Digg).

Bloggers and webmasters out there who watch their traffic as closely as we do have been amazed by the “Stumble Effect”. Many know about the sudden burst of traffic that comes from the “Digg Effect” when a submission reaches the front page of Digg (or even better, if it reaches the “Top in All…” section on the frontpage). This is normally a day of joy (or terror if your server bombs) followed by limited tricklings of traffic.

Stumble has a different, more steady infusion of traffic that it can send to a website that gets stumbled, especially if it is hit by multiple top users. The effect is sustained, but more importantly, can be rejuvinated by a thumbs up and/or review by the right person/people.

Digg, on the other hand, has the advantage of having “controlled” traffic. Anyone watching their posts as they’re submitted and rising on Digg can pinpoint if and approximately when their page will go popular. You know when the traffic is coming and you know when it will stop. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Digg, Social Internet, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, StumbleUpon Tagged With: Digg, Social Media, Social News Sites, socialmedia, socialnews, StumbleUpon

Impeachment Coverage – Who got it fastest?

June 9, 2008 by JD Rucker 1 Comment

When the news wires started buzzing, burning, and smoking about Dennis Kucinich introducing 35 letters of impeachment against President George W. Bush, we started watching the three top social media sites to see who would get the news the quickest to their front page.

As of the time of this post, it was broken 3 hours, 33 minutes ago. We started watching the front pages of Digg, Reddit, Propeller, Newsvine, and Mixx just over 3 hours ago. Here are the results: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Digg, Mixx, Newsvine, Propeller, Reddit, Social Media Tagged With: bush, Digg, impeachment, kucinich, Mixx, Newsvine, Propeller, Reddit, Social Media, social news, socialmedia, socialnews

How Digg is Dropping the Ball (limited to 3 issues, begrudgingly)

March 24, 2008 by JD Rucker 13 Comments

It’s been nearly a year now, but when Kevin Rose boldly announced that “you’ve made it clear” and “If we lose, then what the hell, at least we died trying,” in regards to the the HD-DVD key that was published everywhere, Digg was on top of the social media world with a true opportunity to be the site “for the people.” While the move to ignore a cease and desist declaration was a bit less bold than most understood at the time (it was everywhere at that point), it was still a public relations goldmine that Digg could have very easily parlayed into perpetual success. They just had to do one thing…

Listen to your people and deliver what they want.

Over the last year, Digg has focused on several issues. While all of these have importance, Digg has paid these issues more than enough attention. In most cases, they’ve paid too much attention them. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Digg, Social Freshness, Social Media Tagged With: Digg, digg town hall, kevin rose, Social Media, social news, socialmedia, socialnews

Social Media Outcry Brings Competition to the Table

March 2, 2008 by JD Rucker 4 Comments

The negative comments to this post are already coming. I can feel it. Why? Because I am about to be completely ambiguous and talk theoretically, even though I have knowledge that the things I’m about to discuss are facts.

Ever since Digg, Slashdot, and the other early social news sites took hold of a new market on the internet, there have been clones and competitors popping up left and right. The next “Digg Killer” has emerged and subsequently fallen almost every week for the last couple of years. Newer networks have been proposed, many are getting worked on, and I know a lot about some, little about others. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Digg, Mixx, Propeller, Reddit, Social Media Tagged With: Digg, Mixx, Propeller, Reddit, Social Media, Social News Sites, socialmedia, socialnews

Best Advice for Mixx: Stop Following Digg

January 27, 2008 by JD Rucker 9 Comments

This won’t be a popular article. It can’t be Dugg because it mentions Mixx and it can’t be Mixxed because it seems to lean towards being critical. In hopes of my true feelings being expressed and understood, let me say that I love Digg and I love Mixx. Both are the best at what they do.

What do they do? Digg serves up the ultimate in news niblets for us to ingest at our leisure. It grants incredible exposure to quality content and helps blogs, large and small, to pop up on someone’s screen who never would have visited otherwise. This doesn’t even touch on the other recipients such as YouTube, Flickr, and traditional news sources online.

Mixx does the same thing, right? Well, sort of. Mixx does offer the same type of quality content. It does grant exposure, but not on the same scale (or in the same ballpark) as Digg. Still, its strength lies in the people and their attitudes. For the most part, Mixx is a much more social and sociable platform that Digg or any of its clones. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Digg, Mixx, Social Media Tagged With: Digg, Mixx, Social Media, Social News Sites, socialmedia, socialnews

Call for Quotes from Social Media Superstars

January 18, 2008 by JD Rucker 14 Comments

We are putting together a piece about social media superstars and what motivates them. Looking for opinions. Please leave your opinions or quotes in the comments of this story.

There are those who spend several hours every day on social media websites like Digg, Reddit, Propeller, Mixx, Sphinn, and StumbleUpon. These sites invariably get huge benefit by having these people, as they can themselves become part of the news. The question is, “What’s in it for them?”

Is it the fame and notoriety? Few use their real names as their profile name, so that COULD be it, but I tend to think it’s a small part.

Power? Most have heard of the Digg Effect, while a power Stumbler can have a huge effect on a website with a click of a button. Do they enjoy knowing that they’ve helped out a blog or website tremendously (or possibly killed their server) by sending thousands of people to their website? Perhaps.

Is it an earnest desire to spread quality content? Maybe they’re promoting an opinion, a trend, a product? Helping a candidate or a cause?

Maybe it’s just fun. As one top Digger who already answered the question for me noted, “Some people play Xbox 360.” He, on the other hand, shuts down servers. Hopefully, we’ll know soon enough.

The story itself will probably be posted here, but it may end up on my new blog (with nothing currently on it) at soshable.com. Either way, I’ll let you know. Please post your comments.

Visit some of the sites we recommend.

Filed Under: Digg, Mixx, Propeller, Reddit, Social Internet, Social Media, StumbleUpon Tagged With: Digg, Mixx, Propeller, Reddit, Social Media, socialnews, sphinn, StumbleUpon

Banned at Digg? Talk to the Hand!

January 5, 2008 by JD Rucker 7 Comments

The issue has been building up for a few weeks now. It’s taboo, of course, to discuss Digg.com in a negative light, but there have been “closed-door” secret meetings amongst diggers recently. Via GTalk, it’s a hot topic among active diggers.

A couple of weeks ago, Tamar Weinberg posted Why Nobody Should Buy Digg. It details some of the circumstances behind recent bannings and the apparent turnaround in how Digg handles them. In short, they don’t. If you’re banned, Digg won’t talk to you. They won’t talk to anyone else about you. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Digg, Mixx, Social Internet, Social Media Tagged With: banned, banning, Digg, Mixx, Social Media, Social News Sites, socialnews, sociamedia

Bogus Lawsuits, Wins and Losses, Don’t Buy It, and Other Recent News About Digg

January 5, 2008 by JD Rucker 1 Comment

Digg.com is always a popular topic on blogs and tech news sites, but recently, it’s been the word of the day. Instead of posting links to dozens of stories, we’ve hand-picked and summarized some of the best ones over the last couple of weeks. Some are funny, some are sad, but no matter what, Digg is in the news. [Read more...]