Alternet Notices Digg Censorship When Progressives Are Targets

BlogosphereAugust 2010 • Views: 25,658

Alternet has a post about a ring of Tea Party conservatives on the very popular social media site Digg, who are systematically burying posts from progressive sites: Massive Censorship Of Digg Uncovered.

I have no doubt that this is happening. But why wasn’t Alternet or the left wing blogosphere equally concerned when leftists were doing the same thing to LGF? LGF posts have been systematically buried at Digg for years, to the point where nobody even bothers to submit them any more; there’s no point. Even big stories that indisputably originated at LGF and had no particular political bias, like the Lebanon War Reuters Photoshop scandal, were deliberately buried or marked “inaccurate” at Digg.

I pretty much wrote Digg off quite a while ago as worthless for political topics; it’s regularly spammed by 9/11 Truthers, Ron Paul lunatics, and Alex Jones parrots, and organized teams of grudge-bearing ideologues on both sides work hard to suppress the other side’s stories. I don’t think this is even news.

The utopian ideal of social media is that valuable and newsworthy stories rise to the top; but rather than resulting in a triumph of grassroots democratic value-added breaking news, Digg’s system encourages mob rule, and rewards the people who are the most obsessed.

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71 comments

Ojoe Sat, Aug 7, 2010 12:33:01pm

It seems that the Internet has as one of its natural functions “playground for morons.”

AntonSirius Sat, Aug 7, 2010 12:35:52pm

When your team does it, it’s cheating and a sign of moral turpitude. When my team does it, it’s clever strategy.

Ericus58 Sat, Aug 7, 2010 12:43:16pm

“I have no doubt that this is happening. But why wasn’t Alternet or the left wing blogosphere equally concerned when leftists were doing the same thing to LGF? LGF posts have been systematically buried at Digg for years, to the point where nobody even bothers to submit them any more; there’s no point. Even big stories that indisputably originated at LGF, like the Lebanon War Reuters Photoshop scandal, were deliberately buried or marked “inaccurate” at Digg.”

Good Point, Charles.

You just keep on keepin’ on.
There’s a reason that many of us post only here at LGF.
Candor and Reason.

well….. and the video’s too…. and food discussions… music… and the Troll BBQ.

jamesfirecat Sat, Aug 7, 2010 12:45:27pm

Guess it just goes to show that without some clear rules and guidelines there really is no difference between democracy and mob rule….

pharmmajor Sat, Aug 7, 2010 12:48:14pm

More proof that bias breeds hypocrisy.

hellointernet Sat, Aug 7, 2010 12:50:17pm

Who goes on Digg anymore? Reddit ftw

Batman Sat, Aug 7, 2010 12:55:03pm

To be fair, this is a huge group that was exposed with evidence of malfeasance that indiscriminately censors anything posted by anyone with a less than far-right slant, including innocuous articles about sports and such, as well as harasses known progressive users by reporting them and burying all and any of their posts.

Maybe there’s a liberal version that’s doing the same to you, or maybe there’s just an excess of liberal diggsters that downding (or bury) you because they happened upon your articles and didn’t like them.

Can you say for sure there’s a concerted effort by a large group of progressives to target and send out kill commands to all its members against you? A group that creates sockpuppet accounts and just makes more when they get banned?

That group is insane. The best part was reading about how they believe there’s no algorithm and that there’s a liberal cabal behind Digg that chooses which articles go to the front page, while they simultaneously congratulate themselves for consistently getting their articles on the front page and burying liberal ones.

Still, it sucks that LGF gets the shaft on Digg. I never go there, and this is a problem they’ll either work out or become irrelevant.

Randall Gross Sat, Aug 7, 2010 12:55:19pm

There aren’t any real good measures of trust on the net yet… but authority / trust / popularity are strange concepts in a world where SEO bots and subert.com type sites exist to skew the picture

Randall Gross Sat, Aug 7, 2010 12:55:42pm

arg. Subvert even…

webevintage Sat, Aug 7, 2010 12:56:32pm

But why wasn’t Alternet or the left wing blogosphere equally concerned when leftists were doing the same thing to LGF?

Good question.
We all need to make sure our “side” is held to the same standards as the other.

I’ve never really understood what Digg was for.

Randall Gross Sat, Aug 7, 2010 12:56:35pm

re: #7 nonsense

There’s no maybe about it, diggers lost all cred a long time ago.

Ojoe Sat, Aug 7, 2010 12:56:37pm

organized teams of grudge-bearing ideologues

LOL Charles.

Four More Tears Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:01:03pm

re: #11 Thanos

How’s your ticker doing, by the way?

Charles Johnson Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:04:59pm

re: #7 nonsense

Can you say for sure there’s a concerted effort by a large group of progressives to target and send out kill commands to all its members against you? A group that creates sockpuppet accounts and just makes more when they get banned?

Yes, absolutely I can. I’ve written quite a bit about it.

A reader once used some kind of script to capture the output of Digg Spy, and sent me the files — there’s very little doubt when you see the swarms of buriers that they were organized somehow. And I identified several people who would get banned for these kinds of activities and immediately re-register and take up where they left off.

I eventually stopped caring about it, because I was just ramming my head into a brick wall. Nobody at Digg really gave a shit.

Randall Gross Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:05:07pm

re: #13 JasonA

How’s your ticker doing, by the way?

Pretty good, the blood pressure is still much higher than I would like and I can’t quite go fifteen rounds yet, but I”m still in better shape than prior to the surgery.

Political Atheist Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:05:52pm

Look at what happens with un-moderated comments. Now we see that the moderators must have sharp objective rules or again it’s mob rule. Wiki has some of the same troubles.

Four More Tears Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:06:34pm

re: #15 Thanos

Pretty good, the blood pressure is still much higher than I would like and I can’t quite go fifteen rounds yet, but I”m still in better shape than prior to the surgery.

Glad to hear it. I’m not sure that being on LGF can help with the blood pressure, though…

freetoken Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:07:09pm

Treehugger also noticed that global warming stories that cover the real science have gotten the push-down treatment from the latest far-right putsch at Digg. As I never visit Digg I wouldn’t know, but I’m glad that more people are becoming aware at how fickle social media can be.

Four More Tears Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:07:55pm

re: #16 Rightwingconspirator

Look at what happens with un-moderated comments. Now we see that the moderators must have sharp objective rules or again it’s mob rule. Wiki has some of the same troubles.

Heh. Sometimes I feel like I come to LGF not because of who is here, but because of who is not here.

Political Atheist Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:08:06pm

re: #12 Ojoe

OT sorry…
Ojoe I owe you a beer or something. Your suggestion for Icehouse at MT baldy was perfect. I slept in my truck at Icehouse parking last night, hiked in a little ways and got some good photographs. Thank you very much.

I’ll page some later, promise…

Randall Gross Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:08:19pm

If you read Jonathan Zittrain’s new book or see his condensed presentation “Minds for Sale” on youtube you begin to realize how much of what’s prevalent on the web is really orged by gangs… some political, some commercial, some just here for teh lulz….

Randall Gross Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:10:10pm

re: #17 JasonA

Glad to hear it. I’m not sure that being on LGF can help with the blood pressure, though…

Well it’s a darned sight better than watching Barton from WallBuilders talk about separation of church and state along with freemasonry kookspiracy on Glenn Beck like I did at rehab yesterday… :)

Batman Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:10:27pm

re: #14 Charles

I didn’t know that. Haven’t been around long. From the article I wasn’t sure if there was a known coordinated group or if your stuff just happens to get buried a lot.

Supposedly Digg is working on an update that will make these things harder to do. I think there’s no more burying, but simply a report button, which would have to go through arbitration of some sort I’d assume.

It’s sad that there’s people who sit and watch Digg just to screw over people that disagree with them.

Gus Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:11:07pm

The simple solution would be if Digg only allowed positive digs. That way whichever story gets the most positive number would make the front page.

Targetpractice Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:11:51pm

re: #19 JasonA

Heh. Sometimes I feel like I come to LGF not because of who is here, but because of who is not here.

I don’t know, sometimes I miss the ol’ days, back before registration. Could get pretty lively at times, I tell you what.

Batman Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:14:11pm

re: #24 Gus 802

The simple solution would be if Digg only allowed positive digs. That way whichever story gets the most positive number would make the front page.

I hear that’s coming with Digg 4.0. While ‘burying’ sounds sweet to compliment ‘digg’, I wouldn’t have ever thought it’d be a good idea by any means. I guess Kevin Rose has more faith in humanity than I have.

Gus Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:14:20pm

Other than that I have no interest in Digg. By the looks of things it’s still kind of cultish much like Facebook. I’m sure they even have Digg evangelists that swear by Digg. Too many people, too crowded, etc.

avanti Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:17:35pm

re: #18 freetoken

Treehugger also noticed that global warming stories that cover the real science have gotten the push-down treatment from the latest far-right putsch at Digg. As I never visit Digg I wouldn’t know, but I’m glad that more people are becoming aware at how fickle social media can be.

On that subject, a ice island four times the size of Manhattan just broke off Greenland:

New ice island.

Randall Gross Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:17:36pm

Back in bit, Kasey needs a walk

darthstar Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:22:41pm

Took my new bike for its first ride today…got 1 1/2 miles before the gear box on the rear wheel froze solid, bringing me to a complete stop. I heard a ‘pop’ just before this happened, and it looks like the little axle pin that holds the back tire on snapped. Anyway, I started walking back toward the car carrying my bike and told other riders to look out for my wife who was ahead of me when this happened (she completed the 7 mile loop we were doing, then picked me up in the car). Bike shop was nice about it though…replaced the rear wheel immediately, so we get to ride again tomorrow.

freetoken Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:25:05pm

re: #28 avanti

I was looking at the MODIS website yesterday to see if they had posted the satellite image yet, but couldn’t find it.

HoosierHoops Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:25:13pm

re: #25 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

I don’t know, sometimes I miss the ol’ days, back before registration. Could get pretty lively at times, I tell you what.

Good Afternoon Lizards…
Hey Target there still a few unmoderated Sports blogs..They can be brutal and ugly at times..Like going to an Eagles game in Philly wearing a Giants jersey…

tradewind Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:31:03pm

No kidding. They used to routinely shuffle LGF into obscurity when I would try to digg a post.
They got no business bitchin’ now.

HoosierHoops Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:33:00pm

BTW..Went to lunch today with some locals at work here in Oklahoma…
Somehow Obama and Beck come up. They love Beck and hate Obama..
They didn’t call Obama a socialist…Nope he is a full blown commie bent on destroying America..Should be interesting living here

Interesting Times Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:35:35pm

re: #34 HoosierHoops

BTW..Went to lunch today with some locals at work here in Oklahoma…
Somehow Obama and Beck come up. They love Beck and hate Obama..
They didn’t call Obama a socialist…Nope he is a full blown commie bent on destroying America..Should be interesting living here

Sympathy upding. Also, is it still hotter there than the 9th level of hell?

Randall Gross Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:36:05pm

re: #31 freetoken

I was looking at the MODIS website yesterday to see if they had posted the satellite image yet, but couldn’t find it.

Here’s a Sat view
[Link: www.sciencedaily.com…]

lostlakehiker Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:37:09pm

re: #28 avanti

On that subject, a ice island four times the size of Manhattan just broke off Greenland:

New ice island.

It won’t be the last. There’s a good case that we’ve already reached and passed a tipping point with respect to Greenland. That ice cap is going to lose the better part of its mass over the next three centuries. How can it hold out, when it’s already losing mass, and when the future holds a month or so of passably ice-free Arctic ocean? The Arctic sea will always be cold, but it won’t be as cold as it now is, much less as cold as it was a century ago. Warmer seas mean quicker loss of ice off the cap.

HoosierHoops Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:38:09pm

re: #35 publicityStunted

Sympathy upding. Also, is it still hotter there than the 9th level of hell?

It is really steaming hot here…I’m not used to this extreme hot and humidity…
How are you this fine Saturday?

goddamnedfrank Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:38:19pm

re: #31 freetoken

I was looking at the MODIS website yesterday to see if they had posted the satellite image yet, but couldn’t find it.

Here’s the original NASA page, it shows the crack forming on July 6 and the new calving front boundary on July 7.

avanti Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:38:56pm

re: #34 HoosierHoops

BTW..Went to lunch today with some locals at work here in Oklahoma…
Somehow Obama and Beck come up. They love Beck and hate Obama..
They didn’t call Obama a socialist…Nope he is a full blown commie bent on destroying America..Should be interesting living here

I have a real Reagan conservative friend in Stillwater Ok, and he’s pretty far left among his neighbors.

TedStriker Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:40:10pm

re: #14 Charles

Yes, absolutely I can. I’ve written quite a bit about it.

A reader once used some kind of script to capture the output of Digg Spy, and sent me the files — there’s very little doubt when you see the swarms of buriers that they were organized somehow. And I identified several people who would get banned for these kinds of activities and immediately re-register and take up where they left off.

I eventually stopped caring about it, because I was just ramming my head into a brick wall. Nobody at Digg really gave a shit.

It all depends whose ox is being gored…now, the left-wing people are getting what they were giving not so long ago. LGF, anti-idiotarian as it is, would still get it from both sides even now, I’ll bet…

sattv4u2 Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:40:14pm

re: #35 publicityStunted

Sympathy upding. Also, is it still hotter there than the 9th level of hell?

we’re having a cold snap here in Atlanta

After a couple of weeks straight of 95-100 degree actual temps, it’s cooled down to a mere 91 right now!

“Son ,, get me my long underwear and ski parka please!!”

avanti Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:42:02pm

re: #37 lostlakehiker

It won’t be the last. There’s a good case that we’ve already reached and passed a tipping point with respect to Greenland. That ice cap is going to lose the better part of its mass over the next three centuries. How can it hold out, when it’s already losing mass, and when the future holds a month or so of passably ice-free Arctic ocean? The Arctic sea will always be cold, but it won’t be as cold as it now is, much less as cold as it was a century ago. Warmer seas mean quicker loss of ice off the cap.

But the earth is cooling, I saw that on Beck’s show. /

Eclectic Infidel Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:42:32pm

I have no doubt that this is happening. But why wasn’t Alternet or the left wing blogosphere equally concerned when leftists were doing the same thing to LGF?

A couple things I have run across online:

1) LGF is still being perceived as being a right-wing site
2) LGF is not anti-Zionist

tradewind Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:43:42pm

re: #35 publicityStunted
That’s a couple of states over. TN is
in the middle of a stretch of 100+ heat factor weather.
This time last year, we had such a chilly spring/summer that the tomatoes sucked. Wish the two had balanced out.

lostlakehiker Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:44:01pm

re: #34 HoosierHoops

BTW..Went to lunch today with some locals at work here in Oklahoma…
Somehow Obama and Beck come up. They love Beck and hate Obama..
They didn’t call Obama a socialist…Nope he is a full blown commie bent on destroying America..Should be interesting living here

Look on the bright side. Without going all the way to Vegas you can blow all your money in Indian casinos. Without going all the way to Colorado you can find some rock climbing venues in minuscule state parks, and fall to your death. Without going all the way to Texas, you can find rednecks.

And there’s a great musical.

You can also find tons of salt-of-the-earth types. These same guys who are down on Obama will have your back in the event of an emergency, even at peril of their lives.

tradewind Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:44:40pm

re: #42 sattv4u2
Don’t get comfortable. We had it yesterday in TN, and it was great, but it’s all… over…. now.
Back to 100+ for another ten days.

HoosierHoops Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:44:52pm

re: #40 avanti

I have a real Reagan conservative friend in Stillwater Ok, and he’s pretty far left among his neighbors.

It’s amazing how far right the average person that I have met here is..
Oh well OU starts classes this fall and Norman will be filled with countless thousands of kids…I never thought I’d wish to be surrounded by College kids just for a little sanity Balance..It’s weird even writing that

Interesting Times Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:46:24pm

re: #38 HoosierHoops

It is really steaming hot here…I’m not used to this extreme hot and humidity…

And yet, their senator (Incredible Imbecile Inhofe) is the most toxic and powerful global warming denier in Congress :( It was something else to see a segment on ABC News where the reporter was interviewing him (in Washington), temperature gauge in hand showing the needle well past 100 degrees, while Inhofe kept on blathering about “global cooling”. The reporter had far more restraint than me; I would have tempted to take the temp gauge and whack him over the head :P

How are you this fine Saturday?

Good thanks :) Brief respite from heat/humidity here in Southern Ontario, so I get to enjoy fresh air for a change.

Another question for you - on yesterday’s Prayer List, you mentioned Jadespring - do you or anyone else have any idea what’s happened with her? She used to post here practically every day, but I don’t think she’s commented in nearly two months now…

Ojoe Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:47:01pm

re: #20 Rightwingconspirator

Glad you liked it!

Those are my old stomping grounds; I’m north of San Francisco now.

Randall Gross Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:47:29pm

OT: I saw some RSM supporters in Branson….

[Link: noblesseoblige.org…]

Ojoe Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:48:40pm

re: #35 publicityStunted

Ironically, the 9th level of hell is a frozen lake, according to Dante.

BBL

webevintage Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:49:18pm

re: #34 HoosierHoops

BTW..Went to lunch today with some locals at work here in Oklahoma…
Somehow Obama and Beck come up. They love Beck and hate Obama..
They didn’t call Obama a socialist…Nope he is a full blown commie bent on destroying America..Should be interesting living here

Welcome to the South…

Ojoe Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:51:14pm

re: #20 Rightwingconspirator

Big incense cedars in that canyon too.

HoosierHoops Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:53:25pm

re: #49 publicityStunted

I was wondering the same thing about baseballmom57…I would really like to blue my nick but the last time I did a sock found out my email and spread it among the stalkers…I would really like to have contact with those requesting prayers..But I just can’t..Charles asked us not to use throw away email addresses for our nic..So I used my work email when I registered…The only way to contact me is through the cookbook..I’ll check around with a few lizards here to see if they heard anything

HoosierHoops Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:54:26pm

re: #50 Ojoe

Glad you liked it!

Those are my old stomping grounds; I’m north of San Francisco now.

Really? I’m a NorCal Boy..Yountville.. Hi!

Interesting Times Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:54:43pm

re: #52 Ojoe

Ironically, the 9th level of hell is a frozen lake, according to Dante.

Yes, but last I heard, a large chunk of it had broken off /

HoosierHoops Sat, Aug 7, 2010 1:57:19pm

Global warming thread upstairs..See ya there!

Four More Tears Sat, Aug 7, 2010 2:04:42pm

re: #57 publicityStunted

Yes, but last I heard, a large chunk of it had broken off /

Well played!

tradewind Sat, Aug 7, 2010 2:23:50pm

re: #53 webevintage
You can find the same mindset in South Jersey and South Dakota. And it’s not called the ‘Northern Poverty Law Center ‘.//

SueG Sat, Aug 7, 2010 2:57:56pm

Indeed as you say:
“The utopian ideal of social media is that valuable and newsworthy stories rise to the top; but rather than resulting in a triumph of grassroots democratic value-added breaking news, Digg’s system encourages mob rule, and rewards the people who are the most obsessed.”

if it weren’t for the internet to be so polluted, it could have been a great tool. There are many stories out there which are worth reading. Many I know mention those on facebook or they tweet them. FB sucks, and twitter cannot be used as an archive.

Any alternative?

CuriousLurker Sat, Aug 7, 2010 3:35:10pm

re: #55 HoosierHoops

I was wondering the same thing about baseballmom57…I would really like to blue my nick but the last time I did a sock found out my email and spread it among the stalkers…I would really like to have contact with those requesting prayers..But I just can’t..Charles asked us not to use throw away email addresses for our nic..So I used my work email when I registered…The only way to contact me is through the cookbook..I’ll check around with a few lizards here to see if they heard anything

HH, I don’t know if you’ll come back and see this, but…

Ouch on using your work email and having a sock get ahold of it. I never ever use an important email address for any kind of forum or social networking. I have over a dozen domains, all of which are privately registered, so it’s easy enough for me to create or delete accounts as needed.

You don’t have to use a totally “throw away” email address. Why not use a GMail or Yahoo account? It’s fairly simple to set up filters for any nasties that might find their way to your mailbox.

There’s really no other way I can think of short of Charles changing the way the nic mailer functions, and doing that could be a lot of work—not to mention additional strain on his server(s) and database(s)—depending on how things are currently set up.

It really ticks me off me that a decent guy who only wants to do something nice for people would get stalked.

Ojoe Sat, Aug 7, 2010 4:47:41pm

re: #56 HoosierHoops

Hi !

mph Sat, Aug 7, 2010 4:50:20pm

Internet mob rule is inevitable when people participate behind an alias. To eliminate this problem, eliminate the alias and have people participate in social media with their real name (e.g. Facebook, and generally speaking Twitter).

Velvet Elvis Sat, Aug 7, 2010 4:56:18pm

At least with Reddit there’s no cheating. There’s just anti-Semititism.

swamprat Sat, Aug 7, 2010 6:22:19pm

Gettin’ a little whiplash here. Are we still at war with southeast asia?

Our Precious Bodily Fluids Sat, Aug 7, 2010 6:58:29pm

Digg’s system encourages mob rule, and rewards the people who are the most obsessed.

The 90-9-1 Principle

90% of users are the “audience”, or lurkers. The people tend to read or observe, but don’t actively contribute.

9% of users are “editors”, sometimes modifying content or adding to an existing thread, but rarely create content from scratch.

1% of users are “creators”, driving large amounts of the social group’s activity. More often than not, these people are driving a vast percentage of the site’s new content, threads, and activity.

I think pretty much all the sites on the internet that allow readers to post comments tend to be ruled by those closest to the obsessive end of the site’s spectrum of interest. Ever read the Battlefront forum at Ars Technica?

Fozzie Bear Sat, Aug 7, 2010 7:39:01pm

Social media is good for socializing.

It’s garbage for rating the accuracy and relevance of media.

Dahak Sun, Aug 8, 2010 7:36:26am

When I first saw links to that story, my reaction was ‘What? These people are just noticing this now?’

ihateronpaul Sun, Aug 8, 2010 10:56:03am

Digg is a joke. They might as well rename their “Poltics” section “RonPaulitics” cause 95% of their political stories are from alex jones, ron paul, lew rockwell, or other batshit insane websites.

Idle Drifter Mon, Aug 9, 2010 10:54:10am

Late two cents: Given the fact that people will believe something because they want to or they’re afraid it’s true, people will behave in behave accordingly to protect themselves from the truth or to get what they want especially in large groups. Perhaps this is the information bubble of the internet social media. That it’ll come crashing down because the actions of idiots in large numbers. Well there will always be 4chan. You’ll never find a greater hive of ignorance, racism, and buffoonery.

Spy Mode Auto

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