Hacking Social Media: Subvert And Profit Vs. Digg

Earlier today we mentioned Subvert And Profit, a company attempting to make a business out of gaming Digg.com’s news system by paying for votes. Now one of the mysterious individuals behind the site has come forward to answer a few questions. Vasili Taleniekov, a pseudonym drawn from the Robert Ludlum spy novel “The Matarese Circle,” won’t reveal his real name, but claims to like hacking and Ruby on Rails.
What sparked this idea? Are you aware of PayPerPost?
Vasili: We've thought about gaming Digg for a long time. We saw one User/Submitter become an eBay auction and we decided we could do better. We are aware of PayPerPost and recognize them as another player in our black marketing revolution.
You call your site “a new kind of black market.” Since nothing on the Internet remains anonymous for long, it begs the question: Is this just a media prank to illustrate a point about social networks?
Vasili: We are not a media prank. We are definitely proving a point about social networks, but that is not our primary motive.
Have you been contacted by Digg?
Vasili: Digg has not contacted us, and we don't expect them to. Digg probably won't wonder too much if we are unnoticeable.
If you are confident that the service you are offering users is sustainable and legal, why have you remained anonymous? When Will you reveal your identity?
Vasili: We have chosen to remain anonymous to make our entity more alluring. We anticipate that our cover may be blown eventually. If we ever sell our company, we will reveal our identities. We do not plan to sell our company on eBay; rather, we anticipate a legitimate acquisition by a larger firm in the distant future.




article from wired.com