Digg is in the process of banning its most influential users, the top 100 Diggers. This 1% of all Digg users account for 30%+ of the site's traffic and focus. These are the power users who can send a million visits to a site simply by submitting a digg. And now Digg wants them gone. Banned or soon to be banned power users include zaibatsu, msaleem, mklopez, skored, makimaki, and more.

The rationale is this: Digg is making a play to increase its value to $300 million, and the best method they could come up with was to level the playing field so that more users could have more influence. So the word has gone out that at least the top 10 Diggers will be banned soon, with more to follow.

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Popularity: 4% [?]

A few weeks ago, while driving in my car, I was flipping through the radio stations and acme across a DJ on a very angry rant.

This particular DJ was commenting on yet another report that kids today are overweight, under stimulated and just plain lazy. Sure, these facts are probably all correct; kids today spend too much time playing video or computer games, and not enough time doing anything physical, and as a result of that, combined with eating unhealthy, they pack on the pounds quickly. However, that is not what got me angry. The DJ proceeded to tell the listeners that today’s generation of kids do not socialize, that they spend too much time on Facebook, MySpace and MSN chatting with friends.

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Popularity: 8% [?]

Chances are, the answer is "not much." That's what we at CultureFeast.com discovered when we ran our domain name through the ultra sophisticated dnScoop. For those of you waiting with bated breath to know the value of our highly esteemed website, it's currently valued at a meager $12k. That's right. We're cheaper than a Chevy (God save us!).

If we are to believe dnScoop's estimations, Facebook and MySpace are each worth $1.2 billion, with Google at only $1.7 billion. Seems a bit out of balance. Yes, you're all wonderful companies hell bent on world domination, but Facebook is NOT in the same league as Google, is it?

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Popularity: 9% [?]

I have never been one to dodge and weave when it comes to my feelings on dating, marriage, and the opposite sex altogether. While it might serve others to be a little more reserved or allusive, that’s just not my style. There is no need to keep the emotional “walls” when being totally open and upfront serves as something of a tool to weed out those that couldn’t handle my life experiences. At the age of 30, it is becoming more and more commonplace to find myself sitting across the table from a lady with a similar emotional background. Honestly, if you’re 30 and not married or divorced then you will probably fall into the minority in the dating scene.

Which leads me to my point: I have spent the last couple of years dating and finding myself in short-term relationships. I have met a lot of women through the more traditional means (i.e. through friends, family,work) as well as the “new traditional” means (match.com and other various internet sites). Continue Reading

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Photo by Quarlo.com

I’m a sucker for NYC photo blogs (PBs) because I love the Big Apple but I never had the chance to live there on a long-term basis.

So NYC photo blogs are how I try to get my regular fix of things-New-Yoark.

With every photo I remember once again how much I love this sultry, chaotic, and majestic Mother of All Cities.

Here is a short list of my top favorite NYC PBs, plus another which has nothing to do with NYC but one you should really support by visiting.

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Popularity: 19% [?]

SI’s senior columnist Frank Deford is one of my favorite writers. Not only he knows sports inside out but he is a terrific writer as well.

It’s always a pleasure to read what he thinks on any topic.

Deford’s recent column on Olympics again got me thinking about the whole hoopla around the Olympic torch, the Tibet issue, etc.

First off, did you know that the Olympic torch itself was invented by the Nazis, in 1936?! I certainly did not know that.

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Popularity: 6% [?]

....I just saved a bunch of money by switching to Geico.
 
I have started a new website that is destined to be HUGE. OK, so I'm not sure about that, but I'm going to give it a hell of a shot. The website is: www.boomboomboombang.com. So far, there isn't much. I'm looking to turn the site into a monthly webmag (or webzine) that will have all sorts of awesome content and stuff.

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(Photo: Individual vs. The Tanks, Tianenmen Square, Beijing, 1989)

Nils Gilman writing in his blog “Small Precautions” has taken the time to provide a seminal response to my essay on the “Modernization Theory."

His erudition and Ph.D. background is evident in his every sentence. ( See “Death of Modernization Theory?”)

Gilman thinks my exposition is “well and good and true, but also probably beside the point.” Continue Reading

Popularity: 3% [?]

As a single man of almost 6 years, I have had my share of experiences in the dating world. I’ve gone the usual routes of running up monster tabs at the bars, reading John Keats poetry at Barnes & Noble on a Sunday, and I got a dog just so I had a reason to go to the dogpark. I even plan my grocery shopping around the best nights to meet women at Central Market. I almost resorted to signing my daughter up for every sport possible just for the visibility. Luckily, I got wise before I had to spend a decade writing checks to cover her therapist bills.

By wise, I mean I was smart enough to click on a few different hyperlinks for internet dating. On the surface it would be easy to lump internet dating into one single entity, but that would be the equivalent of saying that hooking up with someone from the bar is the same as your mother fixing you up with a girl from her church. They just aren’t the same things. For those lacking real experience with what I call the multiple levels of internet dating ™ (I haven’t actually trademarked it….yet), allow me to expand.

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Popularity: 12% [?]

I'm so in love with this logo, I had to show it off. And before some designer decides to educate me, I've already been informed that it violates the principles of design 101 by not limiting itself to a maximum of four colors. Deal with it.

Yes, Reputation Watchdog is coming soon, though how soon has yet to be determined. It will benefit the growing online reputation management industry, which is a combination of SEO and PR for the Web. I'm sure many of you are wondering what the heck "online reputation management" is. Put simply, reputation management is PR and guarding your image/reputation online, where anyone can say anything about you in thousands of different venues. Each of these negative statements about you can cost you that new job, a quality new hire, a client, or potentially thousands of customers and millions of revenue.

There are plenty of places you can read more about the ORM industry, such as here and here and here. 

Credit goes to the ever awesomer Ben Jordan for creating and enhancing my logo vision.  

Popularity: 5% [?]

Let me just tell you, I love iTunes. Seriously. I don't think I'll ever purchase another CD again (unless it's not available on iTunes, of course). It's so easy to use and allows me to listen to my music in so many ways, I just have no desire to use another service or store. 

Having admitted my serious crush, there is still at least one major flaw with iTunes that, if corrected, would make me a loyal brand evangelist for life. And the only reason this one thing needs to be fixed is because it has already cost me at least $30 that I can't get back.

The problem comes when you purchase music. Once you've purchased, iTunes remembers WHAT you've purchased. You download each song, movie, music video, or podcast onto your PC or Mac and it's stored on your hard drive. That's great, until your hard drive breaks down, is stolen, or reclaimed by your employer. 

I purchased several albums on my work laptop. I used it all the time, both at home and in the office. I was totally planning on burning my new purchases to CD, but never had the opportunity. I was laid off at work, and in an instant, the laptop was no longer mine. I lost those new albums because I hadn't transmitted them sooner. 

This is the problem. If I'm downloading from iTunes, and iTunes keeps track of what I purchase, WHY CAN'T I DOWNLOAD THE SAME THING AGAIN FOR FREE?!?!?!

This is my dilemma. Seriously, how hard would that be? That way, if my computer dies or is lost or stolen, iTunes would always allow me to re-download ONLY the songs or albums or shows that I had already purchased. Sounds perfect to me. 

If you're listening, iTunes, this is my holiday wish: change iTunes so that I can re-download what I've purchased so that I will always have access to the music or videos I have paid for, and you will have my loyalty forever!!!! This is an excellent idea. You know it is. You know I will love you forever if you do this!

As the cheeseballz say, Let's make it happen!
 

Popularity: 3% [?]