There's a new player in the world of social news sites, which arose from the ashes, and carnage left behind from when digg rolled out its new, sucky, 4.0 user interface this past summer. This little upstart of a social news site was founded as an alternative to digg, when digg failed to respond to complaints from digg's user base about some unpopular changes. Old Dogg keeps the easy and familiar user interface that the Old Dogg's membership has grown to appreciate in its simplicity.
Old Dogg is large when it comes to accommodating its fast growing user base by way of respecting all user viewpoints and submissions in an evenhanded fashion. At the same time, Old Dogg wields the ban stick lightly and only on rare occasions has had to brandish it. Unlike the big social new sites, the administration of Old Dogg does not impose its political agenda on Old Dogg members. Nor, does the administration penalize those with differing political ideas by banning them. The Old Dogg administrators simply endeavor to run Old Dogg neutrally. Old Dogg does not allow a certain political group to run Old Dogg, like these groups attempt to control and run the other sites. How refreshing!
Phil Mitchell, and the staff at Old Dogg have discovered a novel concept in the administration Old Dogg, which flies in the face of the conventional wisdom of how other administrators manage their social news sites. Old Dogg has abandoned the 'God Complex' that other sites operate under, in favor fair, balanced, and more open online discussion.
Old Dogg is based in the U.K. and is the brainchild of Top Dog, Phil Mitchell. Phil manages to stay involved in the Old Dogg community. He also makes regular submissions to Old Dogg, and is quite active in voting for the submissions of others. Phil has his finger on the pulse of the Old Dogg, and is responsive to user's requests and inquiries, while he still finds time to respond to the many messages that are sent to him from the members of the Old Dogg.
What I find quite refreshing about Old Dogg, and in Phil's excellent managerial style, is that Phil does not appear to adhere to any political agenda. He graciously allows for all viewpoints to be heard and Phil rarely bans anyone, at least for any article they submit. There has been a handful of bans that I have observed at Old Dogg, but such bans seem to be reserved for spammers.
Unlike digg, Mixx, the now defunct Propeller and the dozens of other social news sites, Phil allows for Old Dogg to run off the leash on its own track, using a hands off managerial approach. The other sites are overtly agenda driven. The other sites allow those who's political agenda that matches their own, to control the content, while at the same time shutting down the opposition, and in denying a voice to differing viewpoints. But, not at Old Dogg. If it's newsworthy, those commenting regardless of their ideological stripes, are left alone, providing that they are observant of the rules and decorum at Old Dogg.
Old Dogg doesn't claim to operate under some suspect and bogus 'patented' algorithm, which purportedly pushes the popular stories to the front page. Old Dogg allows its user base, through simple voting, or unvoting, to determine which stories become popular, and which stories make the front page.
In some ways Old Dogg is still still a puppy, and is still young, being only paper trained. But, when Phil completes Old Dogg's training through his endless sessions of add-ons, tweaks and adjustments, there soon will emerge a more robust, confident and noble Old Dogg, that will go the distance in providing hours of enjoyment and companionship to its many fans throughout the world. If you seek a quality social news site, Old Dogg is the one. Try visiting old Dogg and see for yourself. And why you're there, it wouldn't hurt to click on a banner, or two, to help support Old Dogg. Old Dogg can be found here.
For its welcoming atmosphere, hands on administration, and lack of political agenda I give Old Dogg four paws running!
