I just got this email from ChaCha human powered search engine. Looks like they are trying to solicit Digg votes.
We all know that Digg does not like emails that try to unnaturally influence votes, so I wounder if it will be buried.
The links in the email redirect to the digg urls. I wonder if Digg can detect links that redirect, like tiny urls, to the Digg urls? I heard they can’t detect them, but they have to catch on to this.
Good afternoon, Steve !
As I mentioned last week, we have had tremendous coverage of our National Text Launch in the media – I hope you’ve had a chance to read through the press coverage.
Want to help ChaCha stay in the news and to keep the traffic coming in? Click the links below to “digg” the articles on ChaCha from the NY Times blog and the Chicago Tribune!
Some of the “most popular” articles on dig.com are listed as “most popular” with only 120 or so “diggs.” Imagine how quickly we will rise to the top if thousands of Guides “digg” the articles today!
Watch my blog for more updates later this week, including more great answers for Desktop and Text!
-Esther
Digg: New York Times Blog
Digg: Chicago Tribune
January 9th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Definitely looks like it.
“Want to help ChaCha stay in the news and to keep the traffic coming in?”
WHAT?!?
They might as well be saying “are you a freaking idiot sheep with OUR best interests in mind?”
Pretty lame, it should get buried.
January 10th, 2008 at 9:29 am
I send out digg links to friends via IM and email by replacing the tt from http with xx. Basically the recipient cant simply click on the link where the referral can be detected by Digg.
So it looks something like this:
hxxp://www.imnotadoctor.com/2008/01/08/chacha-trying-to-game-digg/
I am under the impression that it is working… but who knows.