10 Sure-Fire Ways to Get Banned from Digg
#1 – Use a script: Digg is a company that has has received $40 million dollars in funding. Therefore, if you are naive enough to think that their system can’t detect when someone is using a script, you deserve to get hit by the Digg ban hammer. The bottom line is that you can’t automatically game Digg’s voting system, so if you are trying to use a script to accomplish that goal, you are doing nothing more than spinning your wheels in neutral!
#2 – Submit 5x more stories than you Digg: Although it is not as complex as the Google algorithm, Digg definitely has a very interesting algorithm. Therefore, if you think that you can get dozens of your own stories to the front page without ever participating by Digging other stories, you are lying to yourself.
The Digg algorithm is all about encouraging participation, so if you want any chance of your top notch content performing well on Digg, you need to focus on Digging other stories that are legitimately good, submitting great content from other sources and then only submitting your very best content on a very rare basis.
#3 – Spam your way to high hell via the Shout System: I actually like Digg’s Shout System, because it can be a legitimate way to expose other users to content that they are going to enjoy. However, once you start abusing this system to draw attention to every single story you submit or Digg, don’t be surprised when you get informed that your Digg account has been banned.
#4 – Be Zaibatsu: In case you are just beginning to participate in the Digg community, Zaibatsu was a power user who had submitted between 3000 and 4000 good pieces of content to Digg. Although I could explain why Zaibatsu got banned, I think it will be more effective for you to go read the ridiculous reason why Zaibatsu got banned, and then you can return and read the remaining six reasons on this list.
#5 – Be a bot: In case you didn’t catch on in Point #1, Digg is a serious company. Therefore, if you are using methods (such as bots) to game their system, it is only going to take a short amount of time for them to ban you from their service.
#6 – Submit every single one of your posts: This may seem like common sense to most of us, but just as a warning to those people who are new to the world of Digg and social media in general, if you submit every single post that you published, don’t be surprised when your Digg account is no longer valid!
#7 – Ask your co-workers to Digg your story: Like Point #4 on this list, I think you will get more information by reading the original post on this topic and then coming back for the final three reasons on this list.
#8 – Basic information: Let’s say that you are reading through your feeds and you come across an interesting feed about increasing traffic to a blog. Although you may like this post and want to share it with others, think twice about submitting it Digg, because you may end up being banned for submitting information that is deemed by Digg and a small percentage of its users to be repetitive!
#9 – Speaking negatively about Digg: Digg wants everyone to believe that they are unbiased and all about the collective wisdom of the masses. Although it seems like this is the basis of their existence, just check out what happens when someone tries to discuss an issue related to Digg that Digg feels makes it look bad.
#10 – Posting controversial numbers: I thought this was a fitting example to end this list, because it demonstrates the hypocrisy of Digg. If you think I’m exaggerating, just read how a Digg user managed to get banned for posting a controversial number, even though over 15,000 Digg users gave him a Thumbs Up!
Have you or someone you know been banned from Digg? Let us know about it in the comments below. Also be sure to use the tweet this button if you enjoyed this article.
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Twitter: seosmarty
January 29, 2009 at 2:38 pm
I was wondering if using scripts is also against TOS? What I mean that there are plenty of totally "innocent" scripts which are not designed to spam the board: like the one that generates a tag cloud of keywords a user usually uses for his submissions (this one can help to understand if you have similar interests).
<abbr>Ann Smarty’s last blog post..Sharing versus Manipulating: Where’s the Line?</abbr>
Ann, this is a very good question, and hopefully one of our readers will be able to provide you with an answer backed up by some concrete proof. Thanks for bringing this issue to light!
My belief is that Digg won't ban you from using scripts that are not manipulative in nature (e.g. that don't make you Digg super fast, for example). Digg does have an API for a reason, after all.
<abbr>Tamar Weinberg’s last blog post..Best Internet Marketing Posts of 2008</abbr>
Twitter: seosmarty
January 29, 2009 at 2:38 pm
I was wondering if using scripts is also against TOS? What I mean that there are plenty of totally "innocent" scripts which are not designed to spam the board: like the one that generates a tag cloud of keywords a user usually uses for his submissions (this one can help to understand if you have similar interests).
<abbr>Ann Smarty’s last blog post..Sharing versus Manipulating: Where’s the Line?</abbr>
Ann, this is a very good question, and hopefully one of our readers will be able to provide you with an answer backed up by some concrete proof. Thanks for bringing this issue to light!
My belief is that Digg won't ban you from using scripts that are not manipulative in nature (e.g. that don't make you Digg super fast, for example). Digg does have an API for a reason, after all.
<abbr>Tamar Weinberg’s last blog post..Best Internet Marketing Posts of 2008</abbr>
there is one thing that can bann you.. BAD or RUDE comments… Rude and abusive people are never welcomed .Everybody likes Good and positive comments. Be sure that you write a good comment even if you dont like the article. Try to give such comments which will help him to improve his skills. If you write a rude comment your comment will surely get buried (atleast by the author ).
You must know that even Digg don't like rude comments and therefore there is a " Report it " link given, Where Digg is asking that "is this User being offensive." So be careful that you dont hurt someone's feeling and also save yourself from getting banned.
Very good point 7seven, thanks for the great addition to this post!
there is one thing that can bann you.. BAD or RUDE comments… Rude and abusive people are never welcomed .Everybody likes Good and positive comments. Be sure that you write a good comment even if you dont like the article. Try to give such comments which will help him to improve his skills. If you write a rude comment your comment will surely get buried (atleast by the author ).
You must know that even Digg don’t like rude comments and therefore there is a ” Report it ” link given, Where Digg is asking that “is this User being offensive.” So be careful that you dont hurt someone’s feeling and also save yourself from getting banned.
Very good point 7seven, thanks for the great addition to this post!
Some very good tips! As usual with social media, creating value by submitting useful articles, writing good comments, and building relationships is the way to go. Trying to trick the system might work short-term but will definitely get you banned in the long tun.
<abbr>Marko Saric’s last blog post..Improved blog look after upgrade to Thesis 1.4</abbr>
You are spot on Marko, I can tell that you are someone who definitely “gets it!”
Some very good tips! As usual with social media, creating value by submitting useful articles, writing good comments, and building relationships is the way to go. Trying to trick the system might work short-term but will definitely get you banned in the long tun.
<abbr>Marko Saric’s last blog post..Improved blog look after upgrade to Thesis 1.4</abbr>
You are spot on Marko, I can tell that you are someone who definitely "gets it!"
Tyler,
I am a newbie to social media platforms and stumbling (no pun intended)my way through the process. I'm sure I'm making a load of mistakes along the way. However, it is the helpfulness of posts like this one that give some valuable light to the pathway. A lot of this process is not as intuitive as one might think when getting started.
Thanks for your experienced and thoughtful post.
Charles Gupton
On Twitter @ http://twitter.com/CharlesGupton
Blog: http://charlesgupton.wordpress.com
No problem Charles, I’m glad to hear that this post helped you out. Good luck with your continuous journey into the world of social media!
Tyler,
I am a newbie to social media platforms and stumbling (no pun intended)my way through the process. I'm sure I'm making a load of mistakes along the way. However, it is the helpfulness of posts like this one that give some valuable light to the pathway. A lot of this process is not as intuitive as one might think when getting started.
Thanks for your experienced and thoughtful post.
Charles Gupton
On Twitter @ http://twitter.com/CharlesGupton
Blog: http://charlesgupton.wordpress.com
No problem Charles, I'm glad to hear that this post helped you out. Good luck with your continuous journey into the world of social media!
Ah, the return of the "Ban Hammer!". As always great tips, and a couple things I didn't know about the Digg community.
Thanks,
Matt
<abbr>Matt | Small Biz Bee’s last blog post..Unlock the Power of Twitter For Your Business in 3 Steps</abbr>
Thanks Matt, glad to share with you!
Ah, the return of the "Ban Hammer!". As always great tips, and a couple things I didn't know about the Digg community.
Thanks,
Matt
<abbr>Matt | Small Biz Bee’s last blog post..Unlock the Power of Twitter For Your Business in 3 Steps</abbr>
Thanks Matt, glad to share with you!
Hey nice 1…Image speaks a lot…
Dugg!!
<abbr>p@r@noid’s last blog post..Feed subscription reminder for wordpress</abbr>
I’m glad you also thought that it fit well with this post
Hey nice 1…Image speaks a lot…
Dugg!!
<abbr>p@r@noid’s last blog post..Feed subscription reminder for wordpress</abbr>
I'm glad you also thought that it fit well with this post
Digg always had a mind of its own but common sense still applies. I don't think any social network likes it when it is been "gamed" by someone but there are perhaps too many cases when Digg goes overboard on it.
<abbr>Alex Sysoef’s last blog post..Automated Blog Posting To WordPress</abbr>
Digg always had a mind of its own but common sense still applies. I don't think any social network likes it when it is been "gamed" by someone but there are perhaps too many cases when Digg goes overboard on it.
<abbr>Alex Sysoef’s last blog post..Automated Blog Posting To WordPress</abbr>
Well of course I had to digg this, but 63 people beat me to the page. Pretty impressive. Digg seems less police-like than SU, tho. I've heard many people tell me that they've been banned from SU (or that it no longer "works" for them), but none from Digg. But could just be the circles I run in and what technology they use.
Anyway, great informative post, as always.
<abbr>Alisa Bowman’s last blog post..How to win a Wii</abbr>
Thanks for the compliment and the Digg!
Well of course I had to digg this, but 63 people beat me to the page. Pretty impressive. Digg seems less police-like than SU, tho. I've heard many people tell me that they've been banned from SU (or that it no longer "works" for them), but none from Digg. But could just be the circles I run in and what technology they use.
Anyway, great informative post, as always.
<abbr>Alisa Bowman’s last blog post..How to win a Wii</abbr>
Thanks for the compliment and the Digg!
Never used it – never plan too. Way too many good social sites out there with users that actually know what social media is for to even bother.
Wow commentluv is way off lol.
<abbr>Dennis Edell’s last blog post..Do You Use Google Alerts?</abbr>
Yeah, I'm not sure why it's two posts off for you…
Never used it – never plan too. Way too many good social sites out there with users that actually know what social media is for to even bother.
Wow commentluv is way off lol.
Dennis Edell’s last blog post..Do You Use Google Alerts?
Yeah, I’m not sure why it’s two posts off for you…
Twitter: HotBlogTips
January 30, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Nicely put together. Just yesterday I was reading a post somewhere that was suggesting we do digg each post so it's easier for others to digg. I'll try to find it again and mention this post and number six.
<abbr>Brian D. Hawkins’s last blog post..Brand New – HotBlogTips.com</abbr>
Thanks for spreading this information Brian!
Twitter: HotBlogTips
January 30, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Nicely put together. Just yesterday I was reading a post somewhere that was suggesting we do digg each post so it’s easier for others to digg. I’ll try to find it again and mention this post and number six.
Brian D. Hawkins’s last blog post..Brand New – HotBlogTips.com
Thanks for spreading this information Brian!
There are plenty of bots still running on Digg. The ones Digg found were pretty easy to spot — they looked for log entries of ajax calls from pages that didn't make those calls. If a bot doesn't do that sort of thing they can't catch it.
If you think their technical prowess is so hot, then why is the dupe checking so bad?
<abbr>Don raper’s last blog post..Bad News for Twitter</abbr>
There are plenty of bots still running on Digg. The ones Digg found were pretty easy to spot — they looked for log entries of ajax calls from pages that didn’t make those calls. If a bot doesn’t do that sort of thing they can’t catch it.
If you think their technical prowess is so hot, then why is the dupe checking so bad?
Don raper’s last blog post..Bad News for Twitter
Ouch, very bad time for my keyboard to hiccup on that last post!
<abbr>Don Draper’s last blog post..Bad News for Twitter</abbr>
Ouch, very bad time for my keyboard to hiccup on that last post!
Don Draper’s last blog post..Bad News for Twitter
i like the comic at the top =)
Glad you enjoyed the comic as much as I did!
i like the comic at the top =)
Glad you enjoyed the comic as much as I did!
Zaibatsu deserved his ban. The reasons he gave were far from the only reasons he was banned. He hasn't helped matters by continuing to use dupe accounts since the ban and being very public in his attempts to exact revenge for his banning.
Twitter: the_gman
February 8, 2009 at 4:52 am
Topp,
I appreciate you stopping by and commenting. It means a lot to me.
Zaibatsu deserved his ban. The reasons he gave were far from the only reasons he was banned. He hasn’t helped matters by continuing to use dupe accounts since the ban and being very public in his attempts to exact revenge for his banning.
Twitter: the_gman
February 8, 2009 at 4:52 am
Topp,
I appreciate you stopping by and commenting. It means a lot to me.
I commented in different posts regarding Michelle Obama's history with the Chicago CFR in varying syntax over a day or two , peppered here and there. maybe 20 comments in total.
simple informational comments i wrote. nothing inflammatory or defamatory. nothing insulting.
I guess no one is supposed to know that the obama's are globalist world bank puppets, as i was kicked right to the curb. and that is after a long personal history of quite provacotive comments.
digg it.
I commented in different posts regarding Michelle Obama’s history with the Chicago CFR in varying syntax over a day or two , peppered here and there. maybe 20 comments in total.
simple informational comments i wrote. nothing inflammatory or defamatory. nothing insulting.
I guess no one is supposed to know that the obama’s are globalist world bank puppets, as i was kicked right to the curb. and that is after a long personal history of quite provacotive comments.
digg it.
I've actually be banned from Digg, twice, along with having my home IP and office IP banned. The first time was my fault–I was using scripts initially because "everyone" was doing it.
Second time was without cause or explanation. I was digging everything manually & commenting/reading as much as possible. When pressed, they sent me a generic TOS clause from the user-agreement. The IP bannings are ridiculous too. Of course we have a lot of people digging from both–I live with four guys with Digg accounts (but we don't digg each others stuff all the time) and at work I have a few coworkers with accounts too. The coffee house near me has been banned as well now, as its popular with college students who all have Digg accounts.
Digg needs to stop biting the hand that feeds it.
Twitter: the_gman
February 8, 2009 at 4:29 am
Meh well ip ban is simple enough. Most internet is dynamic IP so just unplug your modem and plug it back in IP changed. But for the love of god don't be digging each others stuff from the same IP. Use a proxy or something.
I’ve actually be banned from Digg, twice, along with having my home IP and office IP banned. The first time was my fault–I was using scripts initially because “everyone” was doing it.
Second time was without cause or explanation. I was digging everything manually & commenting/reading as much as possible. When pressed, they sent me a generic TOS clause from the user-agreement. The IP bannings are ridiculous too. Of course we have a lot of people digging from both–I live with four guys with Digg accounts (but we don’t digg each others stuff all the time) and at work I have a few coworkers with accounts too. The coffee house near me has been banned as well now, as its popular with college students who all have Digg accounts.
Digg needs to stop biting the hand that feeds it.
Twitter: the_gman
February 8, 2009 at 4:29 am
Meh well ip ban is simple enough. Most internet is dynamic IP so just unplug your modem and plug it back in IP changed. But for the love of god don’t be digging each others stuff from the same IP. Use a proxy or something.
Somehow I have gotten mys self banned, I updated a story, and after that I could no longer get in. I am not sure exactly what I did, but belows is their email and all my questions have gone unanswered. My IP is blocked as well as my work one. It is very frustrating to get no answers.
So I am sure I did one of the 10 things above, I am just not sure which one.
Hi from Digg.com, Your account was reported to us as being in violation of our Terms of Service (http://digg.com/tos) for spamming Digg. We must be vigilant in protecting against activities that compromise the Digg community, this decision is final and irreversible. Thank you, -The Digg Support Team
Twitter: the_gman
February 11, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Mike,
Don’t look now but this URL is now banned from Digg.com. Here is the message you get when you try digging from this page.
This URL has been reported by users to be in violation of Digg’s Terms of Use and cannot be submitted at this time. Please refer to our Terms of Use (digg.com/tou) for more information.
Looks like Digg.com doesn’t like story about why they ban people. This will make an interesting follow up post.
Oh yes and thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Somehow I have gotten mys self banned, I updated a story, and after that I could no longer get in. I am not sure exactly what I did, but belows is their email and all my questions have gone unanswered. My IP is blocked as well as my work one. It is very frustrating to get no answers.
So I am sure I did one of the 10 things above, I am just not sure which one.
Hi from Digg.com, Your account was reported to us as being in violation of our Terms of Service (http://digg.com/tos) for spamming Digg. We must be vigilant in protecting against activities that compromise the Digg community, this decision is final and irreversible. Thank you, -The Digg Support Team
Twitter: the_gman
February 11, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Mike,
Don't look now but this URL is now banned from Digg.com. Here is the message you get when you try digging from this page.
This URL has been reported by users to be in violation of Digg's Terms of Use and cannot be submitted at this time. Please refer to our Terms of Use (digg.com/tou) for more information.
Looks like Digg.com doesn't like story about why they ban people. This will make an interesting follow up post.
Oh yes and thanks for stopping by and commenting.
[...] called’ “TOS violation”. The ironic part is that the article that got the attention “10 Sure-Fire Ways to Get Banned by Digg” by Tyler Banfrield, was about how to get banned by [...]
Thanks for the heads up! As a new Digg user myself, I have tried to "trick" the system, and apparently I'm at the risk of getting banned on Digg. From now on, after this post and learning about how Zaibatsu got banned, I'm only going to submit sites that I can trust, such as articles from CNN.com as an example. Nice post!
<abbr>Kai Lo’s last blog post..Image Hosting – Bandwidth Exceeded</abbr>
Thanks for the heads up! As a new Digg user myself, I have tried to "trick" the system, and apparently I'm at the risk of getting banned on Digg. From now on, after this post and learning about how Zaibatsu got banned, I'm only going to submit sites that I can trust, such as articles from CNN.com as an example. Nice post!
<abbr>Kai Lo’s last blog post..Image Hosting – Bandwidth Exceeded</abbr>
Thanks for this article – it highlighted some of the link building aspects I thought were important. In as much as quality link is relevant, content is still king.
Thanks for this article – it highlighted some of the link building aspects I thought were important. In as much as quality link is relevant, content is still king.
The only thing banned from Digg is your email address, though. Got another email address? You're back in action!
<abbr>Douglas Karr’s last blog post..PR Leap Releases PRTube, Embeddable Viral Press Releases</abbr>
Twitter: the_gman
June 18, 2009 at 2:39 am
Well the user name and all the stats are gone. Sure you can easily create another account but you won't have the same username, stats or friends list.
The only thing banned from Digg is your email address, though. Got another email address? You’re back in action!
Douglas Karr’s last blog post..PR Leap Releases PRTube, Embeddable Viral Press Releases
Twitter: the_gman
June 18, 2009 at 2:39 am
Well the user name and all the stats are gone. Sure you can easily create another account but you won’t have the same username, stats or friends list.
Some of those points were pretty obvious, but having said that, and even though I am a Digg member, I've never had too much to do with them. Why? As far as I'm concerned it's all too hard, and now that I've read this post I'll probably have less to do with them.
<abbr>Sire’s last blog post..Passive Income With Your Own Online Store</abbr>
Some of those points were pretty obvious, but having said that, and even though I am a Digg member, I've never had too much to do with them. Why? As far as I'm concerned it's all too hard, and now that I've read this post I'll probably have less to do with them.
<abbr>Sire’s last blog post..Passive Income With Your Own Online Store</abbr>
We got banned no explanasion, just uour banned to bad, had to use a new user name, release mu IP and a new Email address to get back on. I am very careful about what I add to the site and how often.
I think with some of the other social book mark sites taking off Digg will be less a factor, I have never been banned from any other and I watch what I post very carefully.
We got banned no explanasion, just uour banned to bad, had to use a new user name, release mu IP and a new Email address to get back on. I am very careful about what I add to the site and how often.
I think with some of the other social book mark sites taking off Digg will be less a factor, I have never been banned from any other and I watch what I post very carefully.
Weren't scripts the thing that destroyed all the big time diggers last year?
Twitter: the_gman
June 18, 2009 at 2:45 am
Yep yep you are correct.
Weren’t scripts the thing that destroyed all the big time diggers last year?
Twitter: the_gman
June 18, 2009 at 2:45 am
Yep yep you are correct.
Whenever you use any of the social sites it is important to always use them correctly and not to abuse them.
.-= Nick Stamoulis´s last blog ..How To Change Your Address (For Google’s Sake) =-.
Twitter: the_gman
June 18, 2009 at 2:45 am
Agreed.
Whenever you use any of the social sites it is important to always use them correctly and not to abuse them.
.-= Nick Stamoulis´s last blog ..How To Change Your Address (For Google’s Sake) =-.
Twitter: the_gman
June 18, 2009 at 2:45 am
Agreed.
Twitter: TechNetSavvy
February 26, 2012 at 3:18 pm
I haven’t heard of anyone getting banned, nor was I aware of the fact that digg bans users but your post explains the reasons pretty well. Thanks
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Twitter: sunnythesis
April 5, 2012 at 7:12 am
I think its very hard to get banned on Digg and never me and any of my friends got banned. But maybe if we post about inappropriate and controversial content we have a chance of getting banned.
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