Digg's Big Comeback: A New Era of Community-Driven Content

Digg is back in the game, and it's bringing some big names with it. Kevin Rose, the mastermind behind the original Digg, has teamed up with some familiar faces from the tech world to breathe new life into the platform. This time around, they're not just rehashing old ideas; they're aiming to create something entirely new and exciting. Rose, along with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, design and product exec Justin Mezzell, and other tech veterans, have been brainstorming ways to use AI to build a better social platform. They've been tossing around ideas, and the excitement is palpable. They've bought the domain and other assets from Money Group, and the site is already live, but it's just the beginning. They're aiming high, hoping to create a community-first social platform that the internet has been missing. The new Digg will be all about content and links, just like the old days. Users will share links, comment, and vote on them. The most popular content will make it to the homepage, which the team hopes will once again be the go-to place on the internet. But there's more to it than that. Digg wants to create countless smaller communities where people can share and discuss their niche interests. The team isn't shy about comparing Digg to Reddit, but they believe they can do it better. They want to create a platform that truly engages with its community and doesn't prioritize growth over user experience. If they pull it off, the homepage will feel like the old Digg, and the rest of the site will feel like a better version of Reddit. Rose and Ohanian have learned from past mistakes. They know that the key to a successful community-driven platform is giving users the tools they need to operate. That's where AI comes in. The new Digg will use AI to sort through content, make decisions, and even add some fun features. Users will be able to use AI models to build things right in their communities. The goal is to make Digg feel more like a community-driven art project than an old-school internet forum. The team wants to create a dynamic canvas where users can do whatever they want. But they also know that it's all about doing what users want and nothing else. The second you start to sterilize that, you're just an aggregator of information. You're a fancy RSS reader with some voting on it. One big challenge is figuring out how to reward and promote users for doing good work. Digg won't show how many followers you have because that creates bad incentives. Same with competing to be the most-“Dugg” person on the platform. The team knows that's key to making it work, but they don't have a perfect answer yet. The new Digg is all about creating a platform that truly engages with its community and doesn't prioritize growth over user experience. It's a bold move, and it's going to be interesting to see if they can pull it off. But with a team like this, anything is possible.