Taking a serious stand with those abusing its system, Digg (digg.com) has permanently banned several URLs - some of which you've probably heard of or visit with some regularity. While URL bans are nothing new, it does signal the seriousness which Digg takes (or is taking) spam and abuse.

For those stating that the URLs may have been banned unjustly, it's important to note that there are probably many reasons that we simply are not aware of or simply choose to ignore. Case in point, Text-Link-Ads saw many of its affiliates submitting stories with their affiliate IDs - that can't be good. The Digg algorithm is sophisticated and those attempting to game the system will definitely be caught - high profile and low profile bloggers alike. I don't doubt that there are vindictive users of Digg that may bury stories just to bury stories, but you have to give some credit to their existing system, which for the most part in my opinion is actually pretty stable in identifying submissions which really should not be there.

It is important to understand that social networks are fickle in the sense that it doesn't take much to be ostracized from a group or community. Talk too much (too many posts), talk about nothing in particular (submitting duplicate stories), talk about yourself (lame) and you'll be labeled as spam or even worse have your story buried by users. The result is the same - bupkus.

The lesson in all this might just be to use Digg as it was meant to be used. Social networks, just like the communities we participate in, require dedication, openness and honesty. It's simply not enough to submit all your own stories and not notice or participate in the conversations of others. While I greatly respect some of those URLs that got banned, I would encourage them to come forward and tell the whole story - if there is a story to be told. That in itself might give users and abusers of the system something to really think about and insights into how to maximize their participation in digg.com.