There’s been quite a lot of hubbub over at Digg.com over the past few weeks. Hundreds of Digg users and powerusers were banned for using Greasemonkey Scripts.

So, what are these script-thingies? Greasemonkey scripts, or just ’scripts’ as they say on the str33t, are small bits of JavaScript that let you customize the way websites are displayed. Scripts such as “Digg Friends Easier” are against Digg’s terms of service, and users suspected of using them may be banned.

Where is the problem in this? Digg was banning users suspected of using scripts, i.e. people who’s digging habits resemble script use. Many banned Digg users are crying foul over this, saying they were not using scripts, and others saying they were banned without warning, and had no idea such scripts weren’t allowed.

What is Digg Friends Easier/Easy?

Digg Friends Easier and Digg Friends Easy are Greasemonkey scripts that added ‘digg buttons’ to the friends submissions, and shoutsin pages on Digg. They did not automatically digg stories. They turned a two step process into a 1 step process. Instead of having to click the link, and then digg the story, you could just digg it from the list of submissions or shouts.

Diggboss and CheckFriends

Digg user DiggBoss was banned after he created the Greasemonkey Script and later Firefox Extension, CheckFriends. CheckFriends added several new features, such as only shouting stories to users who have not already dugg the story, adding a customizable greeting and signature to shouts, and telling you how many of your last 15 submissions your friends have dugg. It did not automatically digg anything either, and even used Digg’s own API.

Zaibatsu’s Banning

Zaibatsu, who is the #3 top Digger of all time with 1566 front page submissions, was banned after making two submissions that linked to Jackie’s Jungle. This site was having a panty sale at the time, which digg considered to be against the TOS.

Zaibatsu was not even aware I had a panty sale. Like most Digg users he diggs things without even reading them. Regardless if I am selling panties on my site or not, neither of his links lead to the actual post about the sale. They went strictly to my gallery which has absolutely nothing for sale. Therefore he is completely innocent of these alleged crimes and should not be banned from Digg.

-from here

I have also been banned for this (I submitted a site that was selling dog shampoo, ha) Digg later unbanned me since I had no priors. I find it ridiculous that this is even a TOS violation, or that it is even enforced, considering the countless times a list of the “Top 10 funniest Commercials/Ad Campaigns/etc.” has made the front page without being removed and the submitter banned. Or the fact that Digg itself is sporting banner ads.

The Recommendation Engine

Well, well, well. The Recommendation Engine. Digg’s little feature that they seem to be so darned proud of. The problem with the Rec’ Engine is that it doesn’t help out new users. In fact, it gives users with large networks of friends even more power. The more people that digg your story, the more it will show up in the recommendation engine, which leads to more ‘natural diggs’ (diggs that aren’t from your friends), and the higher the likelihood your story will hit the front page.

The recommendation engine completely skips over newer diggers submissions which are lucky to get 2 diggs on a good day.

What does this all boil down to?

Digg should allow script use. How many other sites can you think of that ban users because of script usage? I can’t think of any. Digg should be open, let people use their service as they want. Insta-banning users who’ve been submitting quality content for years over little things like scripts and sites that have ads on them, is just lame.

Digg.com’s top users are not ‘gaming the system’. If Digg has made anything clear, it’s that this is how the system works, and will continue to work unless something major happens.