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.