Reddit Rival Relaunches: Alexis Ohanian Joins the Fight

Remember Digg? The site where you could “digg” or “bury” news? It was huge back in the day. Like, 40 million users huge. But then things went south.

Well, guess what? It’s making a comeback. And this time, it has some serious firepower behind it.

Ohanian and Rose: A Power Couple?

Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit, is teaming up with Kevin Rose. Rose is the guy who started Digg way back in 2004. Talk about a reunion!

They’re not just dusting off the old site, though. They’re giving it a major upgrade. Think AI. Think smart content moderation. Something Reddit hasn’t quite nailed yet.

What Went Wrong the First Time?

Digg was the place to find trending news. Users shared links, voted them up or down, and commented. The best stuff made it to the front page. Simple, right?

Then, in 2010, they changed things. They got rid of the “bury” button. Users hated it. They left in droves. Ouch.

Digg 2. 0: Mobile-First and AI-Powered

This isn’t your grandpa’s Digg. The new version is built for phones. It’s also using AI to fight spam and keep things civil. A big deal, right?

Rose says they want AI to do everything. From translating communities into Klingon (yes, like from Star Trek! ) to automatically moderating profanity.

Why AI?

Ohanian says AI will handle the “grunt work. ” The spam. The endless filtering. This lets human moderators focus on building real communities.

“I’m all in on this chapter,” says Ohanian. Sounds serious.

Can Digg Compete with Reddit?

Reddit is huge. A $30 billion company with over 100 million daily users. Can Digg really go up against that?

Maybe. Reddit has been playing with AI, too. But Digg seems to be making it a core part of their strategy from the start.

What’s Next?

Invites to the new Digg are going out soon. Over 175,000 people have already signed up for early access. People are interested.

Justin Mezzell, formerly of Code School and RevenueCat, will be the new CEO. Ohanian and Rose will be on the board.

Will Digg rise from the ashes? Will AI be the secret weapon? Only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure: it’s going to be interesting.