Comments on: Digg Decides It’s More Important to Be Liked http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2007/05/01/digg-decides-its-more-important-to-be-liked/ Jeff Nolan's take on investment, innovation, entrepreneurship and the technology industry Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:27:53 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Jeff http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2007/05/01/digg-decides-its-more-important-to-be-liked/comment-page-1/#comment-111581 Jeff Sat, 12 May 2007 23:32:50 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2007/05/01/digg-decides-its-more-important-to-be-liked/#comment-111581 Cyrus, First and foremost, I think you are right that we are going to agree to disagree, but I very much appreciate you taking the time to comment here. Re right of access, I wasn't aware that access to information had been elevated to a basic human right, nonetheless, it's the legality of the information itself that is in question here. Also, it's a little premature to elevate Digg to the same level that of a taxpayer funded public service, the last time I checked Digg was a private business that pretty much could (and does) restrict individuals and content according to their own rules. Cyrus,
First and foremost, I think you are right that we are going to agree to disagree, but I very much appreciate you taking the time to comment here.

Re right of access, I wasn’t aware that access to information had been elevated to a basic human right, nonetheless, it’s the legality of the information itself that is in question here. Also, it’s a little premature to elevate Digg to the same level that of a taxpayer funded public service, the last time I checked Digg was a private business that pretty much could (and does) restrict individuals and content according to their own rules.

]]> By: Cyrus Mack http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2007/05/01/digg-decides-its-more-important-to-be-liked/comment-page-1/#comment-111384 Cyrus Mack Sat, 12 May 2007 15:44:19 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2007/05/01/digg-decides-its-more-important-to-be-liked/#comment-111384 Sorry, didn't see your comment above re: civil disobedience. Jeff, I have a right to access information that I have legally obtained. Period. End of story. Anyone that attempts to erect barriers to information infringes on my rights of access. It is a basic human right and should be recognized as such. You don't think it's the same as the Alabama bus protests, and I think it is. We're probably just not going to agree :) -Cyrus Sorry, didn’t see your comment above re: civil disobedience.

Jeff, I have a right to access information that I have legally obtained. Period. End of story. Anyone that attempts to erect barriers to information infringes on my rights of access. It is a basic human right and should be recognized as such. You don’t think it’s the same as the Alabama bus protests, and I think it is. We’re probably just not going to agree :)

-Cyrus

]]> By: Andrew Fife http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2007/05/01/digg-decides-its-more-important-to-be-liked/comment-page-1/#comment-108278 Andrew Fife Thu, 03 May 2007 19:59:49 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2007/05/01/digg-decides-its-more-important-to-be-liked/#comment-108278 Rich Skrenta has an interesting take on how the move could be a net positive for Digg based on the PR value of the press about the uproar: http://www.skrenta.com/2007/05/diggs_huge_pr_bonanza.html Rich Skrenta has an interesting take on how the move could be a net positive for Digg based on the PR value of the press about the uproar:

http://www.skrenta.com/2007/05/diggshugepr_bonanza.html

]]> By: Jeff http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2007/05/01/digg-decides-its-more-important-to-be-liked/comment-page-1/#comment-108248 Jeff Thu, 03 May 2007 17:45:12 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2007/05/01/digg-decides-its-more-important-to-be-liked/#comment-108248 Marcus, Civil disobedience in instances where morality is drawn into question is noble, civil disobedience over intellectual property law is not. It does an injustice to those who proceeded you to suggest there is moral equivalence to publishing a key to break DRM in DVDs, and not sitting in the back of the bus. Really, to devalue those occasions in history where civil disobedience was warranted with wanting to unlock DVDs is quite disingenuous. Andrew, I suspect that Digg just did what was convenient and expedient rather than do the hard work of arguing for something that is manifestly unpopular. It's a no-win for both sides, which is why we probably won't see any legal action as a consequence, but we're all worse off as a result of our judicial system not having the ability to enforce a law, even though it is an unpopular one which should be changed but changed through an orderly process and not through the actions of a mob. Marcus,
Civil disobedience in instances where morality is drawn into question is noble, civil disobedience over intellectual property law is not. It does an injustice to those who proceeded you to suggest there is moral equivalence to publishing a key to break DRM in DVDs, and not sitting in the back of the bus. Really, to devalue those occasions in history where civil disobedience was warranted with wanting to unlock DVDs is quite disingenuous.

Andrew,
I suspect that Digg just did what was convenient and expedient rather than do the hard work of arguing for something that is manifestly unpopular. It’s a no-win for both sides, which is why we probably won’t see any legal action as a consequence, but we’re all worse off as a result of our judicial system not having the ability to enforce a law, even though it is an unpopular one which should be changed but changed through an orderly process and not through the actions of a mob.

]]> By: Andrew Fife http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2007/05/01/digg-decides-its-more-important-to-be-liked/comment-page-1/#comment-108237 Andrew Fife Thu, 03 May 2007 16:57:28 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2007/05/01/digg-decides-its-more-important-to-be-liked/#comment-108237 What I don't understand is the legal position here. Digg demonstrated that they knew about the posts and could take them down, but decided not to anyway. I'm not a lawyer, but I've got to imagine they are going to get hammered over this one. I'm sure a PR campaign to repair and damage to their brand would have cost far less than the damages that they are likely to pay. What I don’t understand is the legal position here. Digg demonstrated that they knew about the posts and could take them down, but decided not to anyway. I’m not a lawyer, but I’ve got to imagine they are going to get hammered over this one. I’m sure a PR campaign to repair and damage to their brand would have cost far less than the damages that they are likely to pay.

]]> By: Marcus http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2007/05/01/digg-decides-its-more-important-to-be-liked/comment-page-1/#comment-108128 Marcus Thu, 03 May 2007 08:55:23 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2007/05/01/digg-decides-its-more-important-to-be-liked/#comment-108128 Civil disobedience is also a noble tradition that forms our society into the relative freedom that it is. It is the force that helped reduce apartheid in America (slightly). It is the force that ended the bullshit Vietnam "police action". Civil disobedience is the counteraction to out of control politicians, civil officers overstepping their bounds, and broken laws that hurt and kill rather than heal and help. Civil disobedience is also a noble tradition that forms our society into the relative freedom that it is. It is the force that helped reduce apartheid in America (slightly). It is the force that ended the bullshit Vietnam “police action”.

Civil disobedience is the counteraction to out of control politicians, civil officers overstepping their bounds, and broken laws that hurt and kill rather than heal and help.

]]> By: People Over Process » Blog Archive » links for 2007-05-03 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2007/05/01/digg-decides-its-more-important-to-be-liked/comment-page-1/#comment-108113 People Over Process » Blog Archive » links for 2007-05-03 Thu, 03 May 2007 07:23:12 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2007/05/01/digg-decides-its-more-important-to-be-liked/#comment-108113 [...] Digg Decides It’s More Important to Be Liked “There is something really wrong with a ‘community’ when it decides that the rule of law when applied to something they don’t like should be ignored.” –they call it a lynch mob. (tags: digg community crowdsourcing law dmca usa dvd) [...] [...] Digg Decides It’s More Important to Be Liked “There is something really wrong with a ‘community’ when it decides that the rule of law when applied to something they don’t like should be ignored.” –they call it a lynch mob. (tags: digg community crowdsourcing law dmca usa dvd) [...]

]]> By: Only Time Will Tell | Elaine Vigneault http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2007/05/01/digg-decides-its-more-important-to-be-liked/comment-page-1/#comment-108102 Only Time Will Tell | Elaine Vigneault Thu, 03 May 2007 06:39:45 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2007/05/01/digg-decides-its-more-important-to-be-liked/#comment-108102 [...] Jeff Nolan remarks: “Kevin is wrong for letting a mob bully him into doing something that he knows is wrong. He’s also wrong for deciding it’s more important to not piss people off than it is to do abide by a law that he doesn’t like.” [...] [...] Jeff Nolan remarks: “Kevin is wrong for letting a mob bully him into doing something that he knows is wrong. He’s also wrong for deciding it’s more important to not piss people off than it is to do abide by a law that he doesn’t like.” [...]

]]> By: Elaine Vigneault http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2007/05/01/digg-decides-its-more-important-to-be-liked/comment-page-1/#comment-108085 Elaine Vigneault Thu, 03 May 2007 05:10:11 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2007/05/01/digg-decides-its-more-important-to-be-liked/#comment-108085 Eh, I wouldn't go so far as to say we're all obligated to follow the law, regardless of how unjust it is. But I agree with you that Diggs actions appear to be guided more by doing what's popular than by doing what's right. Eh, I wouldn’t go so far as to say we’re all obligated to follow the law, regardless of how unjust it is. But I agree with you that Diggs actions appear to be guided more by doing what’s popular than by doing what’s right.

]]> By: Chip Griffin: Pardon the Disruption http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2007/05/01/digg-decides-its-more-important-to-be-liked/comment-page-1/#comment-107958 Chip Griffin: Pardon the Disruption Wed, 02 May 2007 21:00:27 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2007/05/01/digg-decides-its-more-important-to-be-liked/#comment-107958 <strong>The Digg Mob Reveals Childish, Wild West Side of the Internet...</strong> The blogosphere and the rest of the Internet offer tremendous opportunities for people to live, learn, and work better. Great information resources exist. Communications tools facilitate interaction. And an entire infrastructure exists to enable creati... The Digg Mob Reveals Childish, Wild West Side of the Internet…

The blogosphere and the rest of the Internet offer tremendous opportunities for people to live, learn, and work better. Great information resources exist. Communications tools facilitate interaction. And an entire infrastructure exists to enable creati…

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