Minimizing Social Bookmarking Plugins
Long time readers of my blog may have noticed that I no longer use the Digg and Reddit post badges. I also no longer use the shareit plugin (or the gregarious plugin that includes it). I replaced all of it with a single drop down list.
There were multiple reasons (in no particular order) for my desire to replace them:
- The javascript code was executed for each and every post badge. On a single page, that's not too bad. But on the front, index page, it will execute for every article for the number of posts you have it set for. 10 times for 10 posts. It slows the rendering of the page down, sometimes stalling it if Digg or Reddit are having server problems on their ends. It does no good for me to make adjustments to the theme to make it display faster if something like this will slow it down.
- Having post badges on every article, or even articles I think are worthy, screams out to the casual reader "Digg me!" or "Reddit me!". While that works with people who have a friendly disposition, it can turn away those who see it as shameless self-promotion and aren't quite so friendly.
- Having a full page of badges with zeros on them makes a blog look abandoned to some. This is especially true if all the posts are sparse, having only one or two short paragraphs each.
- Seasoned users of Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon and others see the post badges as "spammy devices" and won't use them at all. In fact, the diggers may bury you, the redditers may vote you down and the stumblers may give you give you a thumbs down just for that reason alone. Don't laugh. I've seen the results of it happening with my own two eyes.
- The "Shareit" email function is a no-no. Anyone can send your article to anyone else, as many times as they want. I checked outgoing links and a single person used it once to spam someone several times from my blog. That's my server IP they're using, not their own. I don't want my server blacklisted for anything I don't have control over.
You may think some of what I stated are wild assumptions. I assure you they're not. I have read enough comments on enough blogs and had enough discussions with enough people through email to support my assumptions.
On a positive note, if all you ever write is quality content (sure, yeah, right), then you can put anything you want on your page and it'll do well on the social networks. I had one where it really didn't matter (it's my top post) because the subject matter was near and dear to the diggers. Of course, I didn't KNOW that at the time. Look at my third top post (slowly inching its way to the number two spot). That was stumbled and viewed over six thousand times in less than 12 hours. I have no StumbleUpon post badge on my blog and I never had one. I wonder if it would have been that popular had it got the "thumbs down" by top stumblers right away?
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I think this is all good reasoning except for one little thing: I think that the disposition of viewers ought not be considered, because these aggregator sites aren't designed to meet new friends — they're designed to share content that's of interest to people.
If someone is digging someone just because they're being nice, then it kind of defeats the purpose of the system. If all your friends went and digged something because they like you, you'd make a brief splash, but then people who aren't your friend would begin to ask why it's important and vote it down. That doesn't make the downvoters mean or "not nice," they're just playing their part in the system.
So many people think "come on, digg me, it only takes a second!" but where would we be if everyone actually did it on every post where people ask them to?
It seems to me that the best way to keep the system working is to neither encourage people to digg you, nor think they're not friendly if they don't.
Anyway, just my $0.02.
Man…can't even mention me by name anymore 'eh RT?
Good job on making the submission open in a new tab/window
But you see, jer, Digg in particular works as a social network. The more friends you have, the more likely your article is going to make it to the front page. It doesn't even have to be good. Take a gander at some front page stories and follow them to the source. Some are total garbage, yet they make it there. How? That network of friends. I'm not familiar with the others, but I've watched Digg.
I agree that we should neither encourage or discourage people to digg us, but it's very likely that it will happen from someone you know and are on good terms with. Every digg started from my site was started by someone I was already familiar with. And I have done the same thing. You know how that song goes, "That's what friends are for…"
okay…
I agree with you reasons. The "share it" drop down box is much less obtrusive and really looks good as well.
Nice idea.