Digg.com is one of my favorite news sites and I have always felt it could be more. I have always wanted to see a search engine that is based on “digging” and is totally user created. When you use the Digg Search you can really see what’s good and what’s bad before you go to the site. Hope to see a Digg-like search engine in the future. [I made a Mock-up of Digg Search below]

The definition of news is “new information about specific and timely events” and with the introduction of the Internet in the the past decade and a half we have seen “the news” evolve into something totally different and incredibly useful. Internet news sites like Digg and Reddit are completely user created and have become popular because of that. Even though Digg and Reddit have become popular, one thing that I have seen is how different they are from each other.

When we look at the design of the websites, both Digg and Reddit are similar, but Digg is much more easy on the eyes. Digg uses a very simple blue, green, yellow theme that isn’t to busy, but makes the site look and feel quality. Reddit is very different when it comes to overall look. The site is more focused on the news than what it looks like, which is a good for the current users, but is bad for getting new users.

The usability of both sites are fine, but I find Reddit much quicker and less problem prone than Digg. Reddit should take some ideas from Digg and Digg should take some ideas from Reddit. Both sites get the job done when it comes to user generated news and as long as they have content I believe they will do fine, but with a few improvements they could become more popular.

How to Improve Digg (make it more mainstream, if you will):

• Promote Digg as a CURRENT news site that combats sites like CNN
• Promote the Videos section more
• Create a search engine using the “digg it” style
• Allow more customization of Profiles
• Create small community Digg’s (specific towns, groups, or fads)

How to Improve Reddit:

• Promote your site
• Add some color to attract more users
• Explain what Reddit is and how to us it
• Don’t try to be Digg, be Reddit
• Broaden you information

Are you a Mac user that uses Twitter? Yes. Well then you be happy to learn about Twidget (from Aquabox), a Twitter widget that makes posting as easy as a click of a button on your Dashboard. Very simple (no preferences) and for the most part is quick at updating.

You can download Twidget here.

BTW: I probably wouldn’t like Twidget as much if it didn’t have such creative name.

A local news station in San Francisco (KPIX) ran this story on Justin.tv tonight. This week, the local news. Next week Good Morning America??? The anchors seemed like they didn’t really understand how everything worked, but the news is the perfect place to promote your idea. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Justin on a bigger news program or even The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.



read more | digg story

It looks as if they have fixed the problem.



read more | digg story

The site has been down and someone on the chat said they would purposely take Justin.tv down. I was reading the chat right before it went down and I didn’t think the guy was serious, but he was. This show has been becoming more popular and as it does more problems like this will arise. I hope to see the site resurface in the next couple of hours. Oh and like I said in the digg comments, this would be the best time to see what Justin is doing, he’s probably in a panic.



read more | digg story

Who would have ever thought watching someone’s life, through their eyes, would be so interesting? I have been watching Justin.tv for a few days days and I have become addicted. It’s not that he has a super interesting life, but the fact that I can watch it anytime of the day (yeah that sounded a little creepy).

Reality shows on television are nothing compared to this uncensored, tell all show. After watching this show you really feel that you have a connection with these guys even if you have never met them. Justin.tv is a great idea and I hope to see it become successful in the coming months and years. Caution: The four guys don’t live the cleanest lives.

Justin.tv

(Sorry Embedded video wouldn’t work)

(at the moment the site seems to be down)

Popups have been annoying any and all internet users for years now. Fortunately, there have been ways to stop those nasty popups (i.e. smarter browsers, software, and sites have found new ways for advertising) for a while and they have slowly been becoming less popular, until now.

I recently reviewed Gickr an animated gif maker and noticed something new, something annoying, a popup. But this was no ordinary popup, it was a popup that opens in the same window of the site and “floats” over the page until you exit out. No more windows for your browser to block or your software to close, its the new Popup 2.0.

How will the browser block the popup’s now? If it’s all in one window you really can’t do anything except block the floating page feature, if that’s at all possible. Let’s hope this doesn’t become a popular trend because I hated popups then and I hate them now.

Paypopup.com is a popup 2.0 offender