DISQUS

Mashable - The Social Media Guide: 2007/05/01/digg-lawsuit/

  • Andrew · 2 years ago
    These users are being selfish and petty. Why put a decent service and a company in risking of being put out of business to pull these juvenile pranks or "make a statement" to the RIAA?
  • Pete Cashmore · 2 years ago
    Wouldn't it be the ultimate irony if real democracy inevitably results in anarchy and, finally, self-destruction?

    I mean, putting your users in control is fine until they start to destroy your business.
  • Don · 2 years ago
    Pete,

    that is the problem with a democracy versus a republic.

    As much as I hate to admit it, in a democracy the mob rules.

    Republics lead to a bit of unfairness occasionally (Bush as president instead of Gore for example) but they do tend to limit the Mob mentality.

    Prior to this day, the Digg staff probably thought they were a republic. I find the true irony is that they are a democracy after all.

    To the point of their own destruction if need be.
  • archiesteel · 2 years ago
    Actually, non-Republic democracies can have safeguards against mob rule (in the form of a constitution and/or rights charters). Constitutional monarchies, like Canada, have such things in place to prevent abuses against minorities.

    That said, it's not clear from a legal point of view that posting a series of numbers is illegal - personally, I think it exposes a fatal flaw in the DMCA. This could very well be the case that brings the DMCA down (or forces lawmakers to revise it).
  • Dave · 2 years ago
    Hi Pete.

    09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0.
  • Pete Cashmore · 2 years ago
    Heh.
  • sean percival · 2 years ago
    Wowe Wow Wow :: Borat Voice
  • Chris · 2 years ago
    If they sue Mashble.com, we will support you Pete :)
  • Ali · 2 years ago
    Yeah Pete, I'll donate gladly!
  • Rex · 2 years ago
    Now this is the part that will suck. If Digg gets sued, the users of the "community" are unlikely to help the "$60 million man" and digg.

    Great point though.

    Rex
  • Danny Sullivan · 2 years ago
    Digg is a for-profit enterprise, making money off the users that already have built it. It can afford to pay its own legal bills, I'd say.
  • sojo · 2 years ago
    They make enough money to cover their assets! Let them pay for it themselves. No matter what, the 'final say' is still up to digg (and their staff) not the users, so if they get sued it's on them and them alone.
  • Antik · 2 years ago
    Get it lost! Digg has to do smth with these circumstances. They must be don't care :)
  • csven · 2 years ago
    Problem with popular opinion is that it doesn't usually count for much. Popular opinion is against the Iraq war. The result? Troop surge and a veto.

    Digg users will have accomplished little to nothing if they don't take action where it matters... and that's *not* on the digg website.
  • Jope · 2 years ago
    Donate to the 60 million kid? The same kid that has been gaming his 'democratic' site all along...? There are tons of other Digg-like sites, let him pay, and if he closes shop, others will fill the void...
  • Craig · 2 years ago
    I run a UK tshirt print business and some of the staff were wondering why were getting all these orders for tshirts with funny numbers all over them.. so I took a look.. yep, many many people are ordering the HD crack and proudly wearing it!

    Maybe a percentage of profits should go to the Digg Lawsuit... but then again, maybe not!