Rumor Mill: Google Acquiring Digg

Friday, June 13th, 2008 by Andy Beal

Rumor Mill: Google Acquiring Digg

It seems Digg can’t avoid rumors that it’s up for sale. The social news site has been the subject of acquisition rumors for more than two years now.

According to ValleyWag’s rumor, Google is the latest company sniffing around Digg.

…we hear [Google's Marissa] Mayer is pushing hard for an acquisition of Rose’s Digg, for a price below $200 million…A source familiar with the talks says Google and Digg reached an agreement last month; it’s not clear whether the offer was verbal or a formal termsheet. So why the delay? One possibility: Digg may have been exploring whether it could hire a rock-star CEO and raise more money.

Why would Google want Digg? Well, a couple hundred million is nothing to Google. Even if Digg users were to abandon ship, Google would have its hands on valuable algorithms and data on what makes a news story popular.

Of course, I can save them the cash and tell them.

What makes a story popular on Digg? Apple, Google, Linux, Nintendo, or anything promoted by a social media marketer.

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17 comments on “Rumor Mill: Google Acquiring Digg”

Samuel Lavoie Says:

June 13th, 2008 at 10:59 am

“What makes a story popular on Digg? Apple, Google, Linux, Nintendo, or anything promoted by a social media marketer.”

I’ll correct to “anything promoted by a good social media marketer who understand the conversations going on those medias.”

About Digg, I hope they can stay as useful as they are with more features to enhance community empowering.

Samuel Lavoie’s last blog post..Silverlight, the Microsoft RIA, Keynote at the W3Québec meetup
Jayson Says:

June 13th, 2008 at 2:41 pm

Well Google is a few acquisitions away from owning the Internet. I think they’re trying to make sure everyone that uses the Internet touches one of their properties everyday. They’re getting close to doing it too – it’s going to be hard for Microsoft to touch Google if they keep building their brand like they are (not that Microsoft isn’t going to have a hard enough time as was).

I wonder how long it’s going to take for them to combine YouTube, Digg, Google Pharmacy, Google Search and Yahoo News, real estate, cars etc.. into one site, one user profile etc.. in a few years, they’ll be able to feed products to consumers as they need them just like a prescription.
Tristition - Google Rumored to Acquire Digg Says:

June 13th, 2008 at 4:17 pm

[...] is rumored to be pushing to purchase Digg for a price lower than $200 [...]
Google compró Digg? | GeeksRoom Says:

June 13th, 2008 at 5:01 pm

[...] Lo leímos en varios lados. Ayuda Wordpress lo anunció en la blogósfera hispana y PC-Pro, Marketing Pilgrim y otros lo están comentando en la blogósfera de habla [...]
Linda Bustos Says:

June 13th, 2008 at 7:07 pm

Maybe G wants to throw AdSense up on it?

Linda Bustos’s last blog post..Internet Retailer 2008 Live Blogging + Commentary Digest
Rumors Digg potrebbe essere nella lista della spesa di Google: Diggoogle!? - 3 sul Blog - Tech, Fun e Web 2.0 Says:

June 14th, 2008 at 4:30 am

[...] via [marketingpilgrim] [...]
RIchard Srery Says:

June 15th, 2008 at 9:23 am

It eems today that if you create an attractive social network of almost any sort, Google begins to sniff around. IN this case I do not know if the rumor really hold much water or not. ONe thing is for sure, Google, who by the way claims they do not know how to make money on YouTube (Now that’s funny NOT!) has an acquisitions strategy that is neting them millions.
Web Marketing Man Says:

June 15th, 2008 at 11:11 am

The Google juggernaut is ever hungry and sniffing around in the internet world looking for something to gobble up. If not Digg, what next?
Goran Web Design Says:

June 16th, 2008 at 2:43 pm

I agree with Web Marketing Man, Google will buy anything that is a good buy, and Digg is a great tool to communicate to the world.
Tiffany Says:

June 16th, 2008 at 8:34 pm

But that has not explained why Digg, not another social networking such as StumbleUpon?
Ruben Zevallos Jr. Says:

June 17th, 2008 at 7:15 am

I think Google can buy anything and anyone…they have the money and the Internet at their hands… But I still do not understand what Digg and other favorites sites are so important to this big companies…
Eva White Says:

June 18th, 2008 at 1:48 am

While they have the money to buy anything, they are not foolish to spend it that way. I don’t think that this is a rumour that has much to it. After all what does Digg offer Google in monetory terms?

Eva White’s last blog post..Canada’s Apology To The Indian People
Raj Krishnaswamy Says:

June 20th, 2008 at 9:49 am

I think this acquisition might be good for all of us in the long run, so there is some uniformity. There might also be some additional improvements to the algorithms planned.
MB Web Design Says:

June 20th, 2008 at 12:08 pm

I disagree completely that this is a wise investment.

“Google would have its hands on valuable algorithms and data on what makes a news story popular.”

This is true, but only of a very narrow demographic. In pseudocode, the algorithm seems to be

if post contains(“Ron Paul”,”digg”,”apple”,”obama”){
put on frontpage
}
else{bury}
Daily Mail + Web + ££ = Daily Mail Online ABCe:No1 | The Musings Of A Newman Says:

June 23rd, 2008 at 5:22 am

[...] of the bigger players in both the UK domestic market and abroad are bearing fruit but at what cost, with rumors of Google eying up the social news service Digg is it only a mater of time before Digg becomes yet another “who’s got the most ad spend = front [...]
SitePoint Blogs » Potential Buyers for Digg: Print Media? Says:

July 15th, 2008 at 11:51 am

[...] Google and Microsoft were rumored to be in a bidding war for the social news site, while last month it was just Google. Perhaps the only thing more fun for Valley-watching bloggers than getting on the front page of [...]
Digg’s Lack of Ad Targeting is Hurting Revenue | GordonWebbo.com Says:

January 3rd, 2009 at 1:47 pm

[...] social news site Digg? It’s been on the rumor mill for years, whether it’ll sell to Yahoo or Google, no one can tell. But I can tell you one thing – you can’t sell a sinking ship, and with [...]

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