Digg Puts Focus on Politics, Bringing Charges of Liberal Bias

News Type: Event — Seeded on Sun Sep 7, 2008 4:49 AM EDT

Article Source: PBS

technology, internet, media, tech, conservative, liberal, digg, bias, social-networks, on-line, on-line-media

Last week, Digg CEO Jay Adelson sat in a crowded room in Denver holding a stack of papers while facing a camera and trying to project his voice over the cacophony around him. Next to him sat a tired-looking U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who had taken a break from the Democratic National Convention to meet with Adelson.

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This visualization below allows you to see the impact that each user has on the current conversation. The top row contains the group of users who have had the most impact, the 2nd row the group of users who have had the 2nd most impact (et cetera). Users with similar impact are grouped together, and the average score of the group is shown to the left of the group. The author of the article is also shown on the left, in their corresponding group. Each user's score is based on the number of comments the user has made plus the number of votes their comments have received. The scores are calculated relative one another, so while their absolute value is not particularly important, their relative difference does indicate a larger difference in impact on the conversation.

9.8

{"commentId":2803995,"authorDomain":"LAUHAL63"}

lauhal

It still amazes me how Digg is so powerful. Yikes!

{"commentId":2803995,"threadId":"351385","contentId":"1837237","authorDomain":"LAUHAL63"}

2 votes

#1 - Sun Sep 7, 2008 4:52 AM EDT

{"commentId":2804031,"authorDomain":"redwolf"}

Red Wolf

Bias? That's a joke. There are as many insane conservatives as there are insane liberals infesting Digg and both are easily outnumbered by the rabid Ronbots.

I'd argue that liberal/conservative leanings aren't the issue, it's the insanity of Digg commenters enmasse that are.

{"commentId":2804031,"threadId":"351385","contentId":"1837237","authorDomain":"redwolf"}

2 votes

#1.1 - Sun Sep 7, 2008 5:08 AM EDT

{"commentId":2805595,"authorDomain":"LAUHAL63"}

lauhal

To be honest, I have not been on Digg in a while. They scared me off with their wicked & crazy comments. *shudder*

{"commentId":2805595,"threadId":"351385","contentId":"1837237","authorDomain":"LAUHAL63"}

2 votes

#1.2 - Sun Sep 7, 2008 11:04 AM EDT

{"commentId":2808996,"authorDomain":"redwolf"}

Red Wolf

For me, it's the sheer mind-numbing stupid. One person, fair enough, but on Digg, it's harder to find one sane person on any given comment thread.

{"commentId":2808996,"threadId":"351385","contentId":"1837237","authorDomain":"redwolf"}

1 vote

#1.3 - Sun Sep 7, 2008 5:08 PM EDT

{"commentId":2804243,"authorDomain":"Infohack"}

Infohack

Good seed lau, Newsvine faces similar issues. But I'm not sure where people are getting the idea that a site like Digg or Newsvine needs to be unbiased or, more accurately give equal time to conservative views.

Right now Digg seems like it wants to have it both ways: It wants to be a user-edited news site, where the users decide what should go on its home page; but it also wants to be respected as a traffic driver that helps pick up stories we haven't heard about. The problem happens when Digg tries to compare itself to editor-driven news sites, which often try to provide balance in their coverage on political issues.

I'd say a more apt comparison would be to talk-radio, which has long been dominated by the right. Have you ever heard someone try to get a call in to Limbaugh or Neil Boortz? Or even FOX News for that matter. Not exactly champions of balanced coverage, and they are quite unapologetic about it.

{"commentId":2804243,"threadId":"351385","contentId":"1837237","authorDomain":"Infohack"}

2 votes

#2 - Sun Sep 7, 2008 6:54 AM EDT

{"commentId":2805629,"authorDomain":"LAUHAL63"}

lauhal

Hey there Infohack - Good point. Especially lately. Seems like people are less likely to listen to opposing viewpoints at this time. Seems more likely that name-calling is replacing listening. But you are right about the radio thing. These guys exist to feed their fans. There are not here to make anyone smarter or to analyze. There are here for ratings, ratings, ratings.

{"commentId":2805629,"threadId":"351385","contentId":"1837237","authorDomain":"LAUHAL63"}

2 votes

#2.1 - Sun Sep 7, 2008 11:08 AM EDT

{"commentId":2804973,"authorDomain":"alistairbrown"}

Alistair Brown

I will point out there's already a 'conservative' Digg in FreeRepublic, and much like the laughable Conservapedia, it's full of crap.

{"commentId":2804973,"threadId":"351385","contentId":"1837237","authorDomain":"alistairbrown"}

2 votes

#3 - Sun Sep 7, 2008 9:42 AM EDT

{"commentId":2805646,"authorDomain":"LAUHAL63"}

lauhal

Full of crap - meaning you disagree with conservatives or that the sites are poorly executed? Never been on Conservapedia.

{"commentId":2805646,"threadId":"351385","contentId":"1837237","authorDomain":"LAUHAL63"}

2 votes

#3.1 - Sun Sep 7, 2008 11:10 AM EDT

{"commentId":2805728,"authorDomain":"alistairbrown"}

Alistair Brown

Conservapedia's many problems are documented on Rational Wiki, whereas Free Republic is more that I disagree with their viewpoints. I confess I also find it difficult to take a site seriously when it has a prominent tag for the 'Homosexual Agenda' on its main page.

{"commentId":2805728,"threadId":"351385","contentId":"1837237","authorDomain":"alistairbrown"}

2 votes

#3.2 - Sun Sep 7, 2008 11:20 AM EDT

{"commentId":2805956,"authorDomain":"LAUHAL63"}

lauhal

LOL regarding the Homosexual Agenda! I must have missed that memo. Thanks for the links.

{"commentId":2805956,"threadId":"351385","contentId":"1837237","authorDomain":"LAUHAL63"}

3 votes

#3.3 - Sun Sep 7, 2008 11:45 AM EDT

{"commentId":2826817,"authorDomain":"redwolf"}

Red Wolf

I thought Betty Bowers wrote the Homosexual Agenda.

{"commentId":2826817,"threadId":"351385","contentId":"1837237","authorDomain":"redwolf"}

1 vote

#3.4 - Mon Sep 8, 2008 6:26 PM EDT

{"commentId":2826905,"authorDomain":"LAUHAL63"}

lauhal

OMG...I love Betty Bowers!! That site is freaking hilarious!!!

{"commentId":2826905,"threadId":"351385","contentId":"1837237","authorDomain":"LAUHAL63"}

2 votes

#3.5 - Mon Sep 8, 2008 6:29 PM EDT

{"commentId":2815665,"authorDomain":"prez"}

Matt Kennedy

I doubt most of the people voting up stories on Digg can even vote. A quick look at my RSS reader shows me some pretty stupid articles on Digg as well. Nancy Pelosi obviously never reads it -- or that's her target audience...

{"commentId":2815665,"threadId":"351385","contentId":"1837237","authorDomain":"prez"}

2 votes

#4 - Mon Sep 8, 2008 9:38 AM EDT

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LAUHAL

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Digg Puts Focus on Politics, Bringing Charges of Liberal Bias

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