Earlier this month, Digg integrated Facebook Connect on the Digg network which enabled existing Facebook users to log in to Digg without creating a new account. And starting today, Digg has put in more changes to the sharing options. Not only have they removed the little used (finally!) Shout social networking feature but they have also introduced easier access to sharing via email, Facebook and Twitter. According to founder Kevin Rose, “These new options will allow you to streamline your ability to share on Facebook and Twitter.” They have also removed the ‘Blog This’ button which also suffered from low usage.
The Shout social networking feature at Digg has always been controversial since its conception. It was supposed to encourage Digg users to interact with one another directly, but over time it has become more of a turn-off for the loyal Digg fans as they find it filled with public comments from persistent promoters. Digg has been focused on product updates with constantly bringing in new stuff like Facebook Connect, Diggbar (a disastrous experiment!) and an improved search; all these features clearly underlines their effort to move into a more real time environment.
To use these features you can mouse over or click on the ‘Share’ button. This will open up a dialog box containing the new sharing options. The email icon will open your default email client whereas the Twitter icon will open a browser window with the update field automatically filled with the story title and URL. So, be ready to see more of Digg URLs on Twitter and Facebook now as the Digg users start using these options to share their best stories.
This move is being seen as Digg’s final submission to the fact that Twitter and Facebook have become the center for sharing content online and Digg now just wants to position itself in such a way that it gets its fair share out of the social networking pie.
