The Shoutocalypse

nubi came to the Master one day, tormented and afraid. It seemed Digg was changing severely, yet again. "Master, the Powers That Be are taking away our voice! How can we ever share stories with our friends?"

"Fear not, nubi. Do you remember what I told you about your friends on Instant Messengers?"

"Well, yes, but that's only some of my friends!"

"Calm yourself, nubi. I'm not finished. As before, they are your most important friends. However, to make something more like shouts, we have to journey to a new land. That land is the land of Twitter."

"Twitter? I do have a berth there, but it is unfamiliar to me."

"As it will be unfamiliar to your friends, yet it is the best way. A Twitter post is very similar in nature to a shout on Digg, if used that way."

"So, how do I use it?"

"I will contemplate and talk more on this subject soon, but something needs to be said now. First of all, tell your Friends, in a Shout, where your feed is. Also, follow any who shout you their feed."

"Alright... and hopefully they will follow me?"

"Well, yes. This diaspora from Digg's communication lines should be helpful. It should also make the site faster to load."

"That will be nice. So, should I treat Twitter posts like shouts?"

"Not exactly, nubi. There is an Art of Twitter, that you will have to learn, over time. However, at first that should be sufficient, while you learn the ropes."

"So, you will guide me in this, Master?"

"As much as I can, nubi. I'm still learning the Way of Twitter myself."

By this, nubi was enlightened.
--------------------------------

To my Digg friends: Please post your Twitter account as a comment, and tell me your Digg account as well so I know who you are. I WILL follow you.

The Digg Bar

The land of Digg, ever changing as it is, has had a new major change lately. This new major change has allowed other social media networks to interact more with Digg, specifically Twitter and Facebook. The change is known as the Digg Bar. nubi came to the Master to discuss this new change.

``Master, what do you make of this new Digg Bar?''

``It allows for easier and different sharing, using Twitter, Facebook, and instant messaging. Once again, it is showing the fact that your most important Digg friends are not the ones in your Digg friends list.''

``Does this truly change the game here, on Digg?''

``Not yet, nubi, but it will over time. It almost forces us to start to use other networks more, to promote our stories, and also allows us to change the Digg nature faster, if we succeed.''

``Change the Digg nature? Why would we wish to do that, Master?''

``To promote the things we truly like, of course.''

``I've noticed that you seem to have an agenda like that, Master. What is it that you're trying to promote?''

``Thought, nubi. Simply coherent thought.''

At this, nubi was enlightened.

The Master's Travels

nubi was now becoming truly successful in the world of Digg. However, he was greatly troubled when the Master, one day, vanished, almost without a trace. ``Travelling, Digging when I pause'', said his nameline, but that was all of the information he gave. He vanished, in this way, for the better part of two months. Then, one day, he returned to the land of Digg, making a splash by frontpaging again immediately on returning. However, nubi wondered what had happened to the Master that kept him from Digg. He asked for the tale, and was granted this explanation:

My life has been a very interesting one, in my time away from Digg. I've been travelling, visiting and staying with friends, and generally looking for a new lease on life. I'm separated from my wife, and now live a very long way away from where I used to live.

At this point, nubi interrupted him: Master, it sounds like it's been a very hard time for you. I see why you haven't been around. So, how does Digg look different, coming back?

The Master replied: The algorithms change a little, but in the end, Digging is about two things: real friends, and good stories. If you have that, you'll be successful.

At this, nubi was enlightened.

A personal note, from the author

I have been currently travelling, and am possibly going to be a little slower with the updates than my one per day schedule that I have been keeping. I do intend to continue, of course, but at the moment I may take this next few days off. Rest assured, however, that there will be more updates, and the new series, entitled "Zen and the Art of Reddit", will begin soon as well. I thank you all for reading my work, and will likely make my next update about Monday morning or so. Until then, keep Digging, and enjoy yourselves!

P.S. Just to be clear about one thing, I certainly don't mind if people submit my blog to Digg. I will likely no longer be submitting it, unless I think a post is particularly relevant at the time.

Part Ten: The Digger's Nature

Although he was thoroughly enjoying his time Digging, nubi was again troubled. What troubled him this time wasn't directly a problem with Digg and getting his stories to the front page, though. It was more of an existential problem. He realized that sometimes he felt a little much like a robot, Digging only his friends' stories, and submitting the same sites again and again. He went to the master for counsel.

"Master, although I've been digging a while, I'm confused as to what it really means to be a Digger. Are we just robots, trying to frontpage our stories and that of our friends?"


"That's an interesting thought, nubi. Tell me... since you've been Digging, has the frontpage looked different to you than it did before?"

"Actually, yes. I notice that it appals to me more, and has more stories that I enjoy."

"Could a robot make that happen?"

"No, of course not."

"Well, there you go."

Yet, nubi was still troubled. He continued: "Although this is true, it still makes me wonder what the true nature of a Digger is. I mean, what are we?"

"Well, Digg is considered a sort of a news site, correct?"

"Well, yes it is, Master. But what does that mean for my question?"

"Everything. You see, nubi, we are people who report the news."

"So, we're reporters? That's an interesting thought. Yet we also Digg and Bury the stories of others, and comment upon them, which seems not very like reporting."

"Quite true, that is the realm of the editor."

"We also seem to promote ourselves and our friends, which would make us advertisers as well. Is that correct, Master?"

The Master smiled. "Quite so. It seems you are becoming truly enlightened about the nature of a Digger, nubi. I'm glad to see you have given this much thought."

Part Nine: Sharing a Story

Although he was glad of his own success, nubi often felt a little bad that many of his friends had less success. He often shouted for them, just forwarding the link, and yet some of his friends started to complain about the shouts they received. Once again, he came to the Master for help.

"Master, I often see stories that are not mine, but I believe to be worthy of the frontpage. How do I get these stories to the frontpage, like I do with my own?"

"First of all, nubi, do they have the Digg Nature?"

"Some do, some don't."

"I'd suggest that, unless your friends particularly enjoy a specific type of story, that you stick to stories with the Digg nature in your reshouts, first of all."

"Yet even then, it doesn't always seem to help much. Also, my friends complain if I reshout very much."

"What do you tell them in your reshouts?"

"I let the story speak for itself!"

The Master looked agitated. "So, you don't mention a thing about the story, or that you are shouting for a friend?"

"Well no, but..."

"But nothing! First of all, the shout is an art form, as we discussed before. That is where you can put your opinion about the story, without being gauche and commenting on a story you're promoting. Secondly, it is truly good form to tell your friends that you are shouting for a friend, and poor form not to."

"But why?"

"When they receive the same story multiple times, it bothers people if they don't understand why. So much that they may even un-Digg the story and Bury it. This is not what you want, is it?"

At this, nubi was enlightened.

Part Eight: Know Your Audience

Pondering the problems of audience more, nubi couldn't help but find more questions for the Master. As always, since nubi was always kind and polite to him, the Master replied honestly, to help as best he could. Here is another of the many conversations they had.

"Master, I don't understand your submissions. Some of them seem almost doomed to fail from the start, yet you submit them anyway. Why do you do that?"

"It all depends upon the goal I have for that story, nubi."

"Goal? I thought the goal was to have your story Ascend?"

"Not always. I have many other goals, and one even more important than the Ascension of any given story."

"What could be more important than Ascension? What else could matter so much?"

"Many things, nubi. One of them is that I like to shape Digg so that content I like is looked upon more often by many Diggers, even if it doesn't hit the frontpage."

"In other words, you simply submit stories you like."

"Yes. That is only one goal, however. Sometimes, I will submit a friends' blog post, purely to get that friend more views, if I enjoyed the post. This makes the blog more known, as well as the friend happy, and any friend who writes good things makes me happy."

"I see. But the post that makes me wonder was neither of those things. In fact, it was your own blog. Wouldn't it get more success if you asked a friend to post it?"

"Yes, but I don't post it to reach Ascension."

"Why do you post it, then?"

"Because my friends like to read it."

At this, nubi was enlightened.

Part Seven: Algorithmic Mysteries

Like the Master, nubi was becoming a truly respected Digg user. He could frontpage about half of what he tried to, and he was starting to be able to feel how much of the Digg Nature any given story had. However, the seeming inconsistincies of the algorithm that made stories Ascend sometimes drove him to madness.

He decided to ask the Master about it. "Master, why is it that my story with 217 diggs did not make the front page, yet another of my own stories Ascended with less than 150 Diggs?"

"Did you look at who Dugg those stories?"

"Well no, but..."

As was his habit, the Master cut him off. "But nothing. The most important thing you can do is to see who Diggs your stories. If it's all the same people who Dugg your last story, or your last 5 stories, or your last 10 stories, the Algorithm values them far less."

After pondering a moment, nubi responded "So it's back to that whole "your friends' Diggs are worth less" thing. I suppose I can deal with that."

"It isn't just friends, nubi. It's anyone who regularly Diggs your stuff."

"So, what should I do? Tell my friends all NOT to Digg a few stories of mine?"

"I would suggest increasing the size of your audience."

"How will I do that, Master?"

"By submitting content good enough that your friends want to show their friends."

At this, nubi was enlightened. However, the Master continued on.

"There is another theory about the Algorithm, however. A dark theory, that I have been coming to believe as of late."

"And what might that be, Master?"

"That the final arbiter that chooses whether a story makes the frontpage, or not, is not an algorithm at all, but an algorithm-assisted Digg staffer."

"How could that be? No one could stay up for twenty-four hours a day, Master."

"Multiple staffers then, but the theory is the same. There is, indeed, human intervention on this site."

"And how do we get around that, Master? If the human behind the Algorithm doesn't want us to make the front page, what then?"

"Be happy that at least your friends see it."

At this, nubi was, again, enlightened.

Part Six: Names

By this point, nubi was doing pretty well, between working hard and being tutored by the Master. One day, he asked the Master:

"Master, most people on the internet use psuedonyms of some sort, yet you use your real name. Why is this?"

"Would you trust a news reporter in a newspaper who used "Unknown Man" as his tagline?"

"Well, no, but..."

The Master cut him off. "But nothing. Using my real name means that I've got nothing to hide. A catchy name might amuse people, and even be more memorable, but it's more ephemeral."

"So you use your real name to be nearer to your fellow user?"

"Of course not. Most of them don't. I use it because I am who I am. I use a simple picture of myself, as well. This way, people know who I am, and remember me, not a screen name."

"But why would you want that? What does it gain you?"

"Openness. When you are honest with people, they tend to be honest with you. Also, when they are dishonest with you, you have a better reason to snub them, as I did seosam, without being a hypocrite."

At this, nubi was enlightened.

Extra Two!: The Apparent Exodus

Upon logging in in the morning, nubi was troubled. He saw, to his dismay, that a few of his good friends had vanished in the way that only meant Banishment, and others seemed to not be logging in anymore. This was obviously due to the new Limitation, as discussed in the previous Extra. Once again, he sought solace with the Master.

"Master, many of my best friends on Digg are gone! How will I ever overcome this setback in my quest for the Front Page?"

"What do you mean quest for the front page? The reason to Digg is not to seek the Front Page, nubi. You must look for the deeper truth... the truth of the good Story."

"Yet those who submitted some of my favorites are gone!"

"You still have their IM contacts, don't you? Their Twitter accounts? Their Stumbleupon and Reddit accounts?"

"Well, yes..."

"Then perhaps you should use that, to get those stories."

"Then why am I still on Digg, if so many have gone?"

"Perhaps it is to keep the good stories alive, in the memory of those banned, and those who have walked away."

By this, nubi was enlightened.

However, the Master continued, even after noticing his apprentice's enlightenment. "Soon, you should learn of the other venues of Social Media as well."

"But you just told me I should stay on Digg."

"And you should. However, Digg may be losing some of its strength, while others gain strength. So, it is time that you chose another path to follow next."

"I have already thought about this, Master." The Master looked surprised, but allowed nubi to continue uninterrupted. "I wish to learn the way of Reddit."

"Then I should learn that way too, nubi. I will teach you as I learn, trying my best to stay one step ahead of you."

"May I also share those conversations with others, Master? Like I do these?"

"Of course. Knowledge should be free."

By this, nubi was truly enlightened.


Look forward to Volume Two of "Zen and the Art of Digg", "Zen and the Art of Reddit", to be released as soon as the "Zen and the Art of Digg" arc is complete.

Part Five: The Digg Nature

After a few successful frontpage stories, nubi was getting bold. He believed that he could get just about anything to the frontpage. As such, he submitted his own blog, and found it to fall flat. Dejected, he turned to the Master for advice.

"Master, although I can get stories from GenericBigSite to the front page, I can't seem to get my own blog anywhere. Why is this?"

"Your blog does not currently have The Digg Nature."

"The Digg Nature? What is that?"

"The Digg Nature is what sets apart a good story from a bad one, an Ascending story from a Fallen one."

"So what has the Digg Nature, Master?"

"Entertainment is the key to the Digg Nature. Also, left-wing politics, Apple stories, and sometimes talking about Digg."

"Left-wing politics? But aren't you..."

"Libertarian, yes. Yet even I admit that most Libertarian-ideals posts do not have the Digg Nature."

"So, entertainment. What sort of things work for that?"

"First of all, good comedy. Otherwise, the sorts of things enjoyed by geeks, but also by the mainstream."

"Why is that?"

"No one knows for sure. My theory is that Digg users are either geeks, or, more likely, like to think of themselves as geekier than they are. They accept the geek badge as a badge of pride, even if they're less geeky than other geeks."

Nubi pondered this a moment. "So, I should design a post with a top 10 list of geeky but mainstream things, post it to my blog, THEN submit it?"

"No. Things designed for Digg rarely have the Digg nature."

"But you said..."

The Master cut him short. "Digg users tend to be good at detecting posts intended to popularize the user. Even I can't get away with that, unless the story is good enough to transcend this."

"So, how would I get my blog to Digg's frontpage?"

"Write a good enough blog where someone else submits it."

At this, nubi was enlightened.

Extra Part!: The New Algorithm

In the middle of another day, the wise Master ran into a new message on Digg: "Whoa, cowboy! Itchy trigger finger? Digging so fast is lame. Try reading some stories first." He took this as a sign that it was time to take a break, and washed some dishes. However, he heard the cries of many of his friends, including nubi, about the change.

He was asked "How will we Digg in this new world?". He replied "By picking the best stories, of course." Yet, he was curious about one thing, and chose to test his theory.

He searched for some old posts, so as not to be cheating the new system by his experimentation. He chose a website that he knew to have what he was looking for: direct links to Digg a story. He found such, first at Cracked.com, then at a few other sites. He discovered that, although he was still rate limited, he could indeed Digg stories this way. By this, even the Master was enlightened.

However, he then had to decide what to do with this knowledge. He could hold it as a secret weapon, and spread it only to those he liked, but he decided that everyone needed to know. So, he told the story to nubi, knowing he would spread it to the world. However, nubi, at first, wanted to keep the knowledge for himself.

"But Master, we could get whatever we wanted to the Frontpage so much easier than others! Shouldn't we?"

"I don't Digg to be powerful, nubi. I Digg because I enjoy reading the stories, and communicating with my friends. Frankly, I like the algorithm change, and want the Digg gods to address this hole in their new algorithm."

By this, nubi was enlightened.

Part Four: Valued Friends

The Master messaged nubi, out of the blue. After doing their typical exchange of links to Digg, he asked nubi a question: "Nubi, who are your most valuable friends on Digg?"

"Well, you are probably my most valuable friend, Master."

"Yet I am not a friend of yours on Digg."

"But you are a Digger, and a friend, and you Digg my stuff!"

"Exactly. This should lead you to the answer."

Nubi pondered a moment. "Perhaps that means the most valuable friends I have on Digg are not really friends on Digg at all... but why would that be, Master? If they're not a friend of mine on Digg, others don't associate us."

"It seems like you think of that as a disadvantage, nubi."

"Well, yes. Wouldn't it be easier, for me, if people knew we were friends?"

"No. Not by any means."

Nubi was shocked at recieving such a direct answer. "Is that truly so?"

"Truly. Many users despise the successful users, as they do not understand how to be successful, and so view repeated success as some sort of conspiracy."

"So, my most valued friends are people who aren't on my friends list at all?"

"That is indeed the way of Digg."

At this, nubi was enlightened.

Part Three: To Shout, or Not to Shout

Nubi now had pared down his friends, as the Master suggested, but he still had hundreds of shouts per day to deal with. Yet, he started to notice that for most stories, all of those shouts didn't seem to help get the stories to Ascend to the mythical Front Page. He decided to ask the Master about this phenomenon.

"Master, this confuses me. Shouts make your friends notice your stories, and that should be good right?"

"All good things should be had in moderation, nubi. A stiff drink may be bracing, but too many make a man fall down."

"But what does this have to do with Shouting, Master?"

"Everything. You see, your friends' Diggs are like a stiff drink. A good amount will make the story be noticed in a positive way, yet too much will make the story drunk on Diggs. That way lies the Bury Brigade."

"But my story must have Diggs if it is to Ascend!"

"Quite true, but a Digg from someone you've never met is worth 2 or even 3 from people you know."

"Why is that, Master?"

"The Algorithm that causes stories to Ascend has many mysteries, nubi. I can't claim to know all of them, but I do know that it understands who has Dugg your stories before, and gives less credence to those who always Digg them."

"Does this mean that my previous successes work against me?"

"To a point, yes, they do, nubi."

"So, how do I work around that?"

"By continuing to always become a better Digger."

At this, nubi was enlightened.

Part Two: Non-Friends

One day, the Master was chatting with nubi about their latest submits, and another add request came on the Master's IM client. This one was from seoslickster452@gmail.com. Amused as always, the Master proceeded to speak to him, although his name had already given away much.

"welcome to my list of Diggers. Who might you be on Digg?"

"seosam. I want to trade Diggs with you."

"Whoa there, Sam. How did you find me? Looking through your history, you haven't dugg a single submission of mine."

"That's not important. I just want to trade Diggs."

"But it is important, Sam. You see, people who intend to digg only hoping to promote their own things fail in the way of Digg. And those who fail that severely in the way of Digg do not belong among my friends."

"But I do promote other's things!"

"Please don't lie to me. On Digg, your history is in plain view, and you have dugg less than one story per story you have submitted. I am now removing you from my IM list."

The Master then showed this story to nubi, as an example of what sort of friends not to make.

"But Master, what if he dugg my stuff?"

"Then your name would have to be tarnished by Digging his."

By this, nubi was enlightened.

Part One: Digg Friends

The Master had logged in for the day, to both Digg and his IM client, when he noticed a request to add him to IM, as well as the 150 shouts and 9 fan requests he woke up to. The request was from someone called "nubi576@gmail.com". He chuckled and typed, after accepting, "welcome to my list of Diggers. Who might you be on Digg?"

nubi replied "I'm nubi on Digg. Hi."

"Hi. Why do you seek me out, nubi?"

"I seek you out because I enjoy your stories."

"Good. I see that you have indeed Dugg them. As it is part of the Way of Digg to teach your friends to be better Diggers, I will gladly teach you the Way of Digg. What would you like to know?"

"I can't seem to get a story to the front page. I have 500 friends, I digg their stuff, I shout my stories to everyone..."

"500 friends is far too many. You are likely wasting your time on most of them. Have you looked at who Diggs your stories, and who does not?"

"I never thought of that... I just assumed that they dugg my stuff."

"And does every story you Digg get 500 Diggs?"

"No! I've never had that many!"

"Then perhaps you need better friends. Try starting out by clearing out all of them, then re-adding those that actually dugg your stories, even if they weren't friends before."

"How will I manage this task, Master?"

"By clicking. A lot."

By this, nubi was enlightened.