Thing 12. Do You Digg?

Since the point of this is to tag and rank, let me start by adding my rank.

1. newsvine
2. digg
3. mixx
4. reddit

I thought newsvine was the easiest to look at and sort through. Digg is OK too. Mixx is not bad, and reddit is just hard on the eyes. It made me want to go away. I did set up acocunts with mixx and digg, but I'm not sure I'm interested in being a registered user. I'm more interested in using them as an unregistered visitor. I know this is a little counter-web 2.0, but I have found the greatest use with my advanced research students. When they are looking for contemporary, controversial topics, I like to send them to sites like digg, so they can see what the people are digging on. It gives them a better sense of what people are finding most important. For high school kids, that's a key. They need to develop a sense of what adults talk about and topics that are important in an adult world. Because of the ranking nature of these sites, it gives them a glimpse into that and helps them find topics. It also leads them to an initial article to stimulate their learning. So these can be enhancers. I've seen my students use them effectively, and I've discovered that they like to see what others think. As for being a registered member, I think I'll pass.