Digg investigates claims of conservative 'censorship'

[Turborama]

Source: The Guardian

The popular link-sharing website Digg is investigating claims that a group of the site's "influential conservative" members are systematically downgrading thousands of stories deemed to be "liberal".

Online magazine AlterNet claimed to have uncovered a group of Digg members – dubbed "Digg Patriots" – who have "censored hundreds of users, dozens of websites, and thousands of stories" from the site. Alternet alleged that the Digg Patriots, thought to number nearly 100 members, are "able to bury over 90% of articles by certain users and websites submitted within 1-3 hours".

Kevin Rose, founder of Digg, said via Twitter: "We're looking into this."

The six-year-old social bookmarking website ranks submitted web content by the number of times they are ranked up or down. Popular items, those receiving the most "Diggs" and least attempts to "Bury", are voted onto the Digg homepage, and can generate significant amounts of traffic for external websites. Digg had 7.6 million unique visitors in June this year, according to figures from analytics firm Compete.

AlterNet claimed the group of Digg Patriots, whose political affiliations are described as "conservative", work to "censor" the prominence of articles "even slightly critical of the GOP/Tea Party/FoxNews/corporations".

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/06/digg-investigates-claims-conservative-censorship

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Details on how the "DiggPatriots" operate at the link.

How ironic, aren't these the same assholes who are the most vocal advocates for "freedom of speech"?

[Tempest]

1. This has been suspected for some time

I used it a few times and noticed the right wing slant and removed it from my favorites.

[Divine Discontent]

2. where would they get the idea that pure-hearted American patriots......

living in their 82 year-old mother's basement, would ever waste their hundreds of hours of monthly free-time doing such a thing.....


Bwahaha!

We've known this forever. If you venture onto AOL, for example, and look at the comments and polls, they're always unbelievably right-wing sided.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

3. ON THE MONEY BROTHER

[Divine Discontent]

6. thanks bro

[robbibaba]

4. Now that sounds like a conspiracy to me.

Never doubt that a small group of retarded right wing zealots can change the world....

[Plucketeer]

5. If you have NO ideas,

make sure the other guy's ideas are buried!