Digg’s Bold Move to Revive Pocket

In a surprising twist, the digital landscape could see a crossover as Digg, once a powerhouse of the Web 2.0 era, sets its sights on acquiring Pocket, the popular read-it-later app currently under the Mozilla umbrella. This move comes after Mozilla announced it would shut down Pocket on July 8, citing a need to pivot towards new development areas due to changing web usage habits.

Kevin Rose Makes His Interest Clear

On Thursday, Kevin Rose, the original founder of Digg and now co-founder of its revived version alongside Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, expressed strong interest in purchasing Pocket. Rose took to X (formerly Twitter) to declare, "We love Pocket at @Digg! We’re happy to take it over and continue to support your users for years to come!" He tagged both Mozilla and Pocket in his optimistic post, hinting at serious intentions.

Could This Acquisition Transform Digg?

If Digg successfully acquires Pocket, the implications could be monumental. With Pocket's established user base, Digg could reignite interest in its platform and create a seamless integration of Pocket’s reading list with its own news aggregator. This synergy could streamline content sharing, ultimately enriching the user experience on both platforms.

A Resurgence with Some Heavyweights

The buzz surrounding Digg’s resurgence is palpable. The collaboration of Rose and Ohanian—two heavyweights in the digital space—has already drawn attention. Recently, Digg also brought Christian Selig, the creator of the popular third-party Reddit app Apollo, on board as an adviser. Selig’s experience is crucial, especially after the API pricing issues that forced Apollo out of business. An inspired revival strategy could be just what Digg needs.

Medium's CEO Weighs In

Interestingly, Digg isn’t the only player looking to snag Pocket. Tony Stubbleine, CEO of Medium, revealed he had also considered acquiring Pocket earlier this year but received no response from Mozilla before the shutdown announcement. His comments reflect a broader frustration within the tech community about Pocket’s future. Stubbleine noted, "The Pocket software is easy to rebuild, but some of the infrastructure and integrations around the web would be hard to replace. I’m sure someone would have taken it on."