Jason Calacanis Tries to Lure Digg Users With $$$

By: graywolf [privmsg - website] On 19th Jul 2006 In
- Marketing & Advertising

It's been a while since we've talked about Jason Calacanis here on TW, so I think it's time we help him out. Jason's got a new offer he's willing to pay users of Digg, Delicious, Rededit, and Flickr to use the new Netscape.com social bookmarking project he's working on (which BTW looks like a a merge of weblogs inc and digg). I don't think there's anything wrong with paying folks to do that, but I wonder if I made the same offer whether I'd be heralded as a creative advertising genius or a dirty rotten spammer. Here's the offer.

That is exactly what bloggers told Brian and I three years ago when we started. Given that, I have an offer to the top 50 users on any of the major social news/bookmarking sites:

We will pay you $1,000 a month for your "social bookmarking" rights. Put in at least 150 stories a month and we'll give you $12,000 a year. (note: most of these folks put in 250-400 stories a month, so that 150 baseline is just that--a baseline).

- Y! MyWeb

Sure I would be glad to help

Sure I would be glad to help devalue Digg and other junky places online. :)

By seobuzzbox at Jul 19 2006 - 17:01

Sounds like a lot of work.

Sounds like a lot of work. I'm sure it's worth at least $600/month.

By pjbrunet at Jul 19 2006 - 17:27

not open to riff-raff

the top 50 users on any of the major social news/bookmarking sites

IMO, the top 50 of social sites aren't often driven by the prospect of being paid and typically are more than just moderately aware that they are the leaders and are held to a higher standard "for the sake of the community." (AND/OR, cynically speaking, so they won't be outted and lose their status.) If that's truly the case, this offer is primarily linkbait.

By rcjordan at Jul 19 2006 - 18:00

"fellas"

"Everyone's gotta eat" he told me. It wasn't the last time I would hear that expression, and there are many variations of it that the 'fellas in the neighborhood would use. "Can I get a taste?" or "I need a taste" were two of many variations on the theme. This expression was a the humble--or demanding--way of saying you wanted a cut of the action (money).

In Brooklyn, the allusion to "fellas" is of course ...

Comment #2 appearing on that post:

It's a tempting offer, but it appears the new Netscape has had quite the backlash with the regulars. Having your readers automatically discount your work because you are part of a 'perceived problem' is not attractive to most writers online AND off.

By plumsauce at Jul 19 2006 - 19:37

Regardless of whether the

Regardless of whether the top N at X social bookmarking site actually apply; it will be successful - them's low hanging fruit and no mistake. Perhaps a few in the top 100 and a few more in the top 250 apply. Still worth the monetary outlay, as long as they can make the grade required in their contract; why? Because they're already active members of a young social bookmarking scene. Cheap at the price, IMO.

(plus, y'know, linkbait as rcj says)

By wibblewobble at Jul 20 2006 - 08:01