Digg & Reddit

What is Digg? What is Reddit?

“Digg is a place for people to discover and share content found on the web. From the biggest online destination to the most obscure blog, Digg, surfaces the best stuff as voted by our users. You won’t find editors; Digg is here to provide a place where people collectively determine the value of content. In doing so, we’re changing the way people consumer information online.”

“Reddit is a source for what's new and popular on the web.Users like you provide all of the content and decide, through voting, what's good and what's junk.”

”Links that receive community approval bubble up towards #1, so the front page is constantly in motion and (hopefully) filled with fresh, interesting link.”

Social News Websites

Digg & Reddit are online news aggregators. All content submitted is fresh and top rated in their categories. The websites pull the data from popular blogs, news sources and social media websites.

The content on the page are chosen and promoted by Reddit and Digg users.

What do They Both Have to Offer?

Social Interactions: Communities

Digg and Reddit have communities (categories) within the main website.

Digg: Main Categories: Business, Lifestyle, Entertainment, World News, etc EX http://digg.com/news/all/media/recent

Reddit has sub-communities within these larger communities. Ex http://www.reddit.com/help/faqs

Reddit communities are quite specific and cater to a niche group (more so than Digg).

After subscribing to Reddit communities that appeal to you, the front page will change to show a customized listing tailored to your interests.

User Control Over Promotion of Stories

Through algorithms:

Digg averages stories from the submitter, source, comments, buries, and other factors that few know about.

The Reddit algorithm is more of a formula. If it gets up-modded, it moves up.  If it gets down-modded, it moves down. 

User Submitted Stories: Digg

With Digg, submitting a story requires plugging in the URL and selecting whether it is news, photo, or video. The URL is then checked for duplication and images are pulled for thumbnail selection (if it’s news).  Once the URL is verified as fresh, the submitter must put in the title, description, choice of thumbnails, and a choice of  50 categories.

User submitted stories: Reddit

Put in the URL and title and push submit.  You can select one of eight categories, though this isn’t required. 

Those who prefer the ability to submit dozens of stories in a short amount of time or who need no description, thumbnail, or a multitude of categories to filter through may like Reddit better. 

Instructions on How to Submit: Digg

Surf the Internet. Go to all of your favorite news and human-interest sites and browse their latest offerings until you find a news article you really enjoy.

1)Go to Digg.com and log in. This will get you to the main page. Click on 'Submit a New Story.'2)Read the guidelines for submitting a news article, so you will be sure the article you are submitting is posted in the correct category and that other users know why you like it.

3)Type in the URL of the news article you want to submit to Digg.com, then click 'Continue’.

4)Create a title and brief description for your submission. The title and description should give other Digg.com users a good idea of what the news article is about and why you wanted to share it. You are alloted 75 characters for your title and 350 for your description, so keep it simple.

5)Choose a category for you news article by clicking on the circle next to your chosen category's name.6)Sumbit your news article to Digg.com by clicking 'Submit Story.' Now you're all set! Your news article is officially a part of the Digg.com community and other users can now read it and vote on it.7)Find additional assistance with submitting a news article to Digg.com by heading over to the FAQ page.

Easy access to high interest stories

Front pages:

Thousands of stories from a wide variety of interests and sources are shared on Digg and Reddit everyday.

Most popular stories of the moment are promoted to the front page of Digg (Top News) and Reddit (Whats Hot).

On the front page of Digg: My News is where you’ll find a list of stories chosen specifically for you. Stories are selected based upon the people you choose to follow, the stories you like to read, and the stories that are trending across the entire Digg community.

On the front page of Reddit, the news sources and users you choose preference to read from will automatically be featured on your front page, along with stories trending across the Reddit community.

Contrast: Digg & Reddit

Reddit allows users to upload their own stories, whereas Digg requires a direct link from another website.

Reddit’s algorithm allows for first time users to upload stories that will make the front page. Whereas Digg’s algorithm is more complex and weighs heavily on the length a user has been active.

Reddit has been described as forum based, there is an emphasis on building a interactive community.

The rule of conduct on Digg & Reddit

Do not ever sell your vote for monetary gain.

EX.http://news.cnet.com/Digg-continues-to-battle-phony-stories/2100-1025_3-6144652.html

Do not participate in an organized group with the intention of artificially inflating or altering the ‘count.’ EX:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digg_Patriots