Could Google Get Digg-y Wit' It?
Digg, the Web community that lets users vote on news items, today unveiled a site-wide redesign and expanded its coverage area beyond technology. The changes will go live June 26. With this third major redesign, Digg users will now be able to prioritize content in the subject areas of World and Business, Video, Entertainment, Science and Gaming. (Check out screenshots of the new design.) The company also expanded its personalization and social networking features. Digg users can now customize their site views based upon their interests and keep closer track of their friends' activities. User-generated news and interaction is one of the hottest areas of online growth right now. Digg, which started only one-and-a-half years ago, is now one of the most trafficked sites on the Web. With only 300,000 registered users, Digg receives 9.5 million page views per day and 8.5 million unique visitors per month, according to the company. Could Google launch a service like Digg? It would seem the search and advertising giant has all the right components: a huge and often devoted user base; a news search algorithm; and plenty of intelligence on its users' search habits and preferences to know what the most popular stories are online at any given time. Google has a new trend tool that could conceivably be used in the service of a Digg-like interactive news site. And, Google even has experience in social networking. |
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Comments (8)
Have you heard of google co-op by any chance? http://www.google.com/coop
Posted by Trent | June 23, 2006 4:01 AM
Sure, but co-op's not exactly a Digg-like service where users rate and discuss the news. Although, I do really like the way you can use co-op to modify your search results based on people you subscribe to.
Posted by Steve Bryant | June 23, 2006 9:05 AM
What amazes me is the fact that Google hasn't already done something like Digg... I'm sure it has crossed their minds at some point since they seem to be popping out ideas left and right...
Posted by Keith L. Dick | June 23, 2006 6:22 PM
If you can't beat em - join em! Why would Google try and compete with a thing that's soo huge and popular already that they simply won't be able to beat in a head to head competition? Kevin Rose is a genius - not even Google can do digg. And I can't believe Netscape actually thought they could be in the same universe with Digg.com... right... good luck.
Posted by Chuck Reynolds | June 23, 2006 6:40 PM
Kevin Rose is a genius - not even Google can do digg. I like digg too but that's going a bit far. Google could 'do' digg and can come out with a similar service very quickly (and they'd likely do it far better than Netscapes crappy clone). P.S. Kevin Rose is a "genius"? Really? You must have some low standards to call K.R. a genius.
Posted by Jon | June 23, 2006 7:39 PM
hrm, I tend to think that they would be better served by acquiring digg they should have snatched del. when the chance existed
Posted by macewan | June 23, 2006 7:59 PM
Google leads, never follows. But if they feel like they need to follow, they acquire.
Posted by JDorfman | June 23, 2006 8:20 PM
Well google seems to be following (not leading) as of lately. Personally I think, they are stretched too thin. The problem with trying to compete with someone who has already cornered the market (aka DIGG) is that unless they blow them out of the water they are just following and that will only hurt Google's image. Diversification is a great thing, but the current battle is search and it will determine everything else so I think their efforts are better put at improving search. Leave digging for articles for digg they're great at it.
Posted by Evan Spiegel | June 23, 2006 10:22 PM