It's only one of the best sites if you know a Power Digger. Otherwise it's just a bunch of noise that very few benefit from.

And the new Digg toolbar just takes more benefits away from the target - no real impetus for the user to visit a site if they can stay within Digg to view something.

As someone who helps clients with social media, I can say that Digg is way down the list of necessities.

When I heard about the Skittles *experiment* (for surely that's all it is), I was very surprised. Fine, open up to social media and the channels that can provide - but I can't help but feel they're going to alienate a lot of their existing visitor base.

While people inside the social media bubble may look at it as further acceptance of the medium, what does it really mean to the average web user? Sure, they'll know Facebook, but have a Twitter discussion stream as their main visual seems bizarre.

I guess time will tell, but I'm not really sold on this one.

That's where the social audit comes in, Michael - only go onto a platform if it's viable for you. Some of the best results have come for smaller clients, who can take away a lot of their advertising and marketing output when they see that the market is there for them.

Hi Ari, it's for readers of the blog (although based around conversations I've had in the past with clients re. Twitter's benefits).

As Rachel mentions below, Omar, I don't think it's free speech that the FTC is going after.

As rightly mentioned by detractors of the plan, opinion (and the right to have that opinion) shouldn't be silenced. What does need regulating is the false marketing and sales pitches being happily given by people and companies because there is no regulation.

While the social media space can be quick to warn off bad news, this might not necessarily reach the amount of people that a warning or censure from the FTC would.

I think that's why the move should be welcomed.

I guess there goes my "nice guy" image... ;-)

One of the blogs that I find myself visiting regularly is Tim Jahn's over at http://www.timjahn.com/blog - short, sharp and hella insightful.

Nice idea, Lisa - I'd also add yours but we should be reading it anyhoo :)

It's a good system. Only thing it's really missing is the open Twitter stream feature that Twhirl and Tweetdeck has, but they have said that it's next on the agenda.

Sadly, this seems to be an all-too common occurrence in the UK (speaking as a Brit now living in Canada). Maybe not this particular age, but certainly as far as teenage pregnancies go. The Government has failed miserably - offering so much support and resources for pregnant teens, with benefits and social help - they almost invite teens to get pregnant.

Sex education is failing; parents are failing; the state is failing. Until this problem is looked at properly, and effective solutions put in place, this will just be the tip of a very big iceberg.