Digg lays off staff and shuts down app as company retools

Digg, the revamped version of the once-popular link-sharing platform created by Kevin Rose, is undergoing significant changes, including a substantial reduction in its workforce. The announcement was made on Friday by CEO Justin Mezzell, who reassured users that the company is not shutting down. In an effort to stabilize the platform, Rose will be stepping back into a full-time role at Digg while still serving as an advisor to the investment firm True Ventures. The company initially aimed to provide an alternative to existing online forums, fostering a space where users could share links, media, and engage in discussions. However, Digg has faced challenges, particularly with the influx of bots from the outset. In a candid blog post, Mezzell acknowledged the pervasive issue of bot spam, which has become a major hurdle for the platform. He pointed to the “dead internet theory,” which suggests that bots outnumber actual users online. "When we launched Digg beta, we quickly encountered posts from SEO spammers recognizing the platform's strong Google link authority," he noted. "We were unprepared for the scale and sophistication of automated accounts that would inundate us." Despite efforts to combat this issue, including banning tens of thousands of accounts and collaborating with external vendors, the problem persisted. For a platform reliant on community votes to curate content, the prevalence of bots compromised the integrity of those votes. Mezzell remarked, "This isn’t just a Digg issue; it’s a wider internet concern." Additionally, the CEO mentioned the difficulties of competing against established platforms like Reddit, describing the competition as akin to facing a formidable wall. Although the exact number of layoffs has not been disclosed, a small team will remain to reimagine Digg as a distinct platform. The Digg app has been removed from the App Store, and currently, the only content on the Digg website is the announcement regarding the layoffs. Despite these challenges, the Diggnation podcast, hosted by Rose, will continue to air. For context, Rose and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian purchased the remnants of the original Digg last year, intending to create a community-focused site with enhanced moderator control. The financial specifics of this acquisition were not disclosed, and Digg has not provided immediate comments following the announcement.