social networks for week #5

Well, I have signed up to Digg and had a look around Reddit (which I assume is a play on "I have read it").

I love the way these sites serve as an alternative to the traditional, formal news type of websites. On Digg, I found a story on how Kellogg's Stock Takes Big Hit After Dumping Phelps for Bong , referring to the recent images of swiming champ Michael Phelps taking a "hit from the bong". I especially liked reading the feedback below the article - is this a sign of how fed up people are with the so-called war on drugs, or simply a sign of the current economic times .. ?

Reddit is similar to Digg. I find the interface a bit too simple though! Digg seems to strike the right balance between being user-friendly and looking good on the page. With Reddit, when you click on the headline of a story it takes you straight to the original source of the story. The story I liked was one about how a double amputee had a mermaid tail made for her (by Weta workshops) so she could swim. Again, I really enjoyed the comments about the article.

The fact that users contribute to these pages gives a refreshing perspective - you don't get the sense that the news has been filtered/censored by the powers that be in the media.I think sites like this will become more and more influential and important !