Reddit and Digg Cofounders Plan Relaunch of 'Human-Centered' Digg With AI Innovations (cnbc.com)
- Reference: 0176654229
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/03/08/2252242/reddit-and-digg-cofounders-plan-relaunch-of-human-centered-digg-with-ai-innovations
- Source link: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/05/alexis-ohanian-kevin-rose-team-up-to-buy-and-revive-digg.html
"Which is why Kevin Rose and I just bought back Digg."
The amount of that purchase [2]is "undisclosed," reports CNBC :
> The deal is backed by venture capital firms True Ventures, where Rose is a partner, and Ohanian's Seven Seven Six.... The company [3]said in a release that it aims to differentiate itself in the social media market by "focusing on AI innovations designed to enhance the user experience and build a human-centered alternative...." Rose said in [4]a post on X that he and Ohanian "dreamed up features that weren't even possible with yesterday's tech."
"We're bringing more transparency and community partnership," according to Rose's post, "unlike anything you've seen, plus AI that unlocks creativity without sanitizing the human element. The timing is finally right to reimagine what's possible."
"I really disliked you for a long time," Ohanian tells Rose in [5]their joint announcement video . (To which a cheery Rose responds, "Rightfully so.")
But in the video Ohanian also says that today "Our perspective on the world has shifted a lot. You don't want to live in the past, but now we actually have the technology to make better, healthier community experiences." ("Old Rivals, New Vision," says [6]a post on Digg's X.com account , urging readers to "Sign up to get early access when invites go live.")
And [7]Digg.com now just displays this teasing catchphrase. "The front page of the internet, now with superpowers." (At the top of the page there's also a link to watch Diggnation Live at SXSW.)
While valued at $160 million dollars in 2008, Digg's plummeting traffic led to its brand and web site being acquired in 2012 by tech incubator Betaworks for about $500,000, according to CNBC...
[1] https://x.com/alexisohanian/status/1897326680316002560
[2] https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/05/alexis-ohanian-kevin-rose-team-up-to-buy-and-revive-digg.html
[3] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alexis-ohanian--kevin-rose-buy-back-social-platform-digg-302392419.html
[4] https://x.com/kevinrose/status/1897346720998240555
[5] https://x.com/digg/status/1897240679501209704
[6] https://x.com/digg/status/1897240679501209704
[7] https://reboot.digg.com/
Sold too early (Score:2)
Didn’t the co founders sell Reddit like a decade ago? They clearly sold waaaay too early. Could’ve been billionaires if they had waited several more years.
Fuck Kevin Rose (Score:4, Insightful)
With no due respect, fuck Kevin Rose.
He's the one that killed Digg in the first place. He wouldn't know how to create a good social media platform if it was a 40oz out of a brown paper bag.
Re: (Score:2)
The proposal/blurb for the new site sounds unappealing. Too much tech, not enough people.
Re: (Score:2)
The notion that AI will help social media is all you need to know that those folks haven't the slightest clue.
Re: (Score:2)
It's going to b e a crap show for sure
Nothing new under the sun... (Score:3)
The enshittification of Digg (and other social media owned by billionaire twat-waffles) continues.
Full of crypto-pushing stuff no doubt (Score:2)
Kevin Rose has been big on the whole "Defi" thing - I'm sure this'll turn out to be just another crypto-bro forum disguised as some sort of AI-innovative thing wrapped about some "blockchain" and "Web 3.0" crap.
If you want to read about fun early web (Score:2)
The oral history of The Hampsterdance is a good start [1]https://www.cbc.ca/arts/the-or... [www.cbc.ca]
[1] https://www.cbc.ca/arts/the-oral-history-of-the-hampsterdance-the-twisted-true-story-of-one-of-the-world-s-first-memes-1.4958325
Features also not possible with tomorrows tech (Score:2)
But keep dreaming, and at least try to make something that doesn't suck.
Re: (Score:1)
Free speech is not possible given how corrupt and despotic reddit really is, the top subreddits are controlled and censored, for instance try posting anything controversial to r/controversy, the reality is unpopular comments are moderated away and anyone critical of reddit, or those in power is labelled as 'unpleasant' and permanently banned. there's no way the upper class is going to let people really have unfettered access to organize ourselves or seriously discuss the state we are in
Re: (Score:2)
You have to be stupid to think you have "freedom of speech" on anybody's private network or subreddit. It's the height of narcissism to think that's some "right" you have.
Reddit is run by individual armies of people who carefully cultivate specific communities. They have every right to restrict the content in their communities, and you have every right to create your own community if you don't like it. Complaining that you're upset because you broke somebody else's rules is childish.
Re: (Score:2)
When a site becomes the size of reddit, then free speech should absolutely be required. It's the same as when a company becomes so big the government can't afford it to fail.
Re: (Score:2)
> try posting anything controversial to r/controversy
Too controversial for the controversy community? You cant drop a sentence like that without an example