Finding a Home in the Social News Space
October 6, 2008 8:36 am Social Media
In the past two weeks, Digg started cleaning house on users they believe are violating their Terms of Service (TOS). Many users spoke out, deriding the claim as false. The remaining active members were equally upset to see their friends being cast out. The one message the old and current users continue to hear loud and clear is “COME TO MIXX!” The Mixx users are encouraging the exiled Digg members to come and play on the more accepting and welcoming environment over at Mixx.
As a major Mixx cheerleader, I must preface that I am quite biased towards the site. I have been a user ever since a few months after it launched and serve as a co-host on Social Blend, which is a podcast that discusses Mixx-related news and Social media.
Although the enthusiasm about the site is growing, there are still many skeptics. One of the main concerns is that Mixx does not send traffic to the sites that were submitted. It is a major issue for many people who are selecting a site they want to participate in. Although users are sharing stories with a community, they want to make sure that the community is large enough to change an opinion, impact a decision, or reinforce a point. On the other hand, webmaster and marketers want social news sites to cause a spike in their analytics, that can help increase the site/brand’s visibility, awareness, SEO, ad clicks and subscribers.
The traffic-seeking users are searching for a Digg-alternative that has the same power. Diggers knew that if a submission hit the front page, they will get more than 100K visitors to their site. Mixx has yet to cause the “Digg effect” that has made the Digg so famous that even hosting companies know that term.
Many of the Mixx users try to remind those traffic-seeking users that the site offers so much more - community. Mixx is known for a customized user-experience. If the comments were counted as a metrics, then Mixx offers a lot of it. Mixx users know how to share their opinion and it is usually in a very insightful, intelligent and funny way. Many members even say that the comments are even more interesting than the submissions itself.
Mixx is relatively new to the space and it is still working on growing, adapting and evolving. However, in order for Mixx to compete with the big boys of the social news industry, it will need to figure out a way to increase the number of users to increase the traffic. Right now, their users are conducting the massive recruiting campaign that says, “F*ck Digg, Come to Mixx.”
Social media is supposed to connect people and allow them to interact — not try to exclude them. Digg effectively did that when it banned many of its users who have contributed a lot of time and stories to the site. However, it seems to follow the “Digg’s loss, Mixx’s gain” philosophy. As former Digg users are looking for a new home, the Mixx users are serving as air traffic controllers leading those people to their new destination.
October 6th, 2008 at 9:08 am
So how about showing the number of users on Mixx. Or giving us some percentages on how many new users you are getting daily. Something to let people know that you are evolving and growing.
I don’t really care about the traffic, but I think people who do would like some stats.
~ Jim
October 6th, 2008 at 9:38 am
My comments recently posted at Mixx reflect these issues perfectly. Allow me to copy and paste…
“FUCK DIGG COME TO MIXX
FUCK DIGG COME TO MIXX
FUCK DIGG COME TO MIXX
FUCK DIGG COME TO MIXX
FUCK DIGG COME TO MIXX
FUCK DIGG COME TO MIXX
FUCK DIGG COME TO MIXX
FUCK DIGG COME TO MIXX
FUCK DIGG COME TO MIXX
FUCK DIGG COME TO MIXX
FUCK DIGG COME TO MIXX
Look
I am telling you all this with sincerity
This has been going on for some time now
And it started with MY banning almost a year to today
Wake up
Rose and Adelson do NOT care about your contributions
They care about ad-clicks and revenue
It’s different here at Mixx
You can help us make this bigger and better than Digg
Come and hang out with us here; help us let this awesome freakin’ site grow
In short:
FUCK DIGG COME TO MIXX
FUCK DIGG COME TO MIXX
FUCK DIGG COME TO MIXX
FUCK DIGG COME TO MIXX
FUCK DIGG COME TO MIXX
FUCK DIGG COME TO MIXX
FUCK DIGG COME TO MIXX
FUCK DIGG COME TO MIXX
FUCK DIGG COME TO MIXX
FUCK DIGG COME TO MIXX
FUCK DIGG COME TO MIXX
October 6th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Reem: GOOOOOOOOOO Mixx!!! *does the splits*
October 6th, 2008 at 9:58 am
@Reem- once again we are humbled by your presence on Mixx. Thank you.
@Jim- Thanks for your interest. We will release our numbers within a week so stay tuned!
October 6th, 2008 at 10:55 am
I need to say that Mixx community has become much more vivid and alive by influx of new users from Digg. That fact only prove the old saying, that every bad is good for something else:)
October 6th, 2008 at 11:29 am
There should be a mass exodus of talent from digg to mixx.
I dont think digg management understands their own business or their users.
mixx is much more flexible, and has options you hadn’t even thought of, and if you grow your own mixx community, they share revenue 50/50.
http://blog.mixx.com/2008/06/25/introducing-mixx-communities/
October 6th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Any ideas on how much traffic a Mixx popular piece gets? Anyone checked analytics recently?
October 6th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Yea alot of weird things going on at digg. I need to start using mixx again. I think some people miss me =P..
October 6th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Great post Reem. In the 8 or so months that I have been a member of Mixx I have made many more friends than I ever did at Digg (Not just vote beggers). I am looking forward to the day that Mixx overtakes Digg and we can all laugh at the Digg peeps.
October 6th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Out with the old and in with the new…Digg’s reputation has been on a steady decline. I can’t wait to see those bastards fail!
GO MIXX !!!
October 7th, 2008 at 3:08 am
OK, so what we need now are some posts about the cool features in Mixx and how we (as new users) can make an impact in the community.
Is there a “top users” board? Is there a way to determine top commenters?
I’m keen to jump in, but what are the benefits beyond “F*ck Digg”? I hear so much about how cool Mixx is, but when I visit, I don’t see an awful lot of conversation in the threads. What am I missing?
October 7th, 2008 at 5:51 am
The cool features post is a good idea… About the conversations, I have to say I have seen a ton. Maybe we like different things, but the stories that I read normally have a fair amount of comments.
~ jim
October 8th, 2008 at 9:08 am
I love the home I found on Mixx. The community there is great. People actually interact intelligently, which has been a good change from other sites! Thanks Reem for writing this article. As always, very well done!
October 8th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
lol I’m a member at mixx and don’t much like it over there! For one it’s messy and confusing! Too much is happening and it’s hard to get noticed or traffic at all!
Other people seem to do fine with it.. I also don’t get anything from digg so maybe it’s me that’s the issue haha!
November 28th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Nice and usefull post, thanks, this is one for my bookmarks!
May 6th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Great Post Thanx.