Practicum #3

I've become used to making reddit.com and digg.com a daily routine on the internet now, and I have to say I enjoy visiting the sites, particularly reddit.com. The majority of time spent on Reddit is usually from a spectator position though. I enjoy looking at funny pictures, videos, and stories that people send in, as well as reading conversations regarding complications in people's lives. However, I feel like I don't fit the mold of a typical reddit user, and am thus unable to keep up in their discussions. I've tried posting a few comments, however none of them have gotten a response. I've found that the users are a much more integral part of Reddit though, which gives the site a distinct personality when compared to Digg. All the content on Reddit is obviously sent in by users and some of the content is even created by the users. The conversations are somewhat unique to Reddit, although when a serious topic is being discussed, it seems that people are typing just so their voice will be heard. A huge difference between Digg and Reddit are the "self links" on Reddit, in which people state something or ask a question to begin a conversation. For instance, one day on Reddit someone had sent in a link entitled "Let's face it, Johnny Cash's cover of 'Hurt' is the greatest cover ever." This sparked thousands of comments, including one of my mine which was ignored. Some conversations and questions can become a little too personal on Reddit though, leading me to believe that some of the users have no social life outside of Reddit. Digg on the other hand has almost no personality. The links are typically to blogs, advertisements, or to pictures I had seen the day before on Reddit.

Here are some questions for my presentation:

1. Why do people put so much effort into sending in links and commenting on them on social bookmarking site?

2. Are Reddit and Digg online communities?

3. Do you believe Reddit and Digg are valuable tools for democracy in that they lead to discussions regarding serious matters?