If a guy who couldnt write a line of code or build an html page was able to get a startup up and running, raise funds, create one of the top destination site on the net, changed the way we consume news, and be worth millions only a few months after having an idea...then Bravo to him. You got paid, and noone had a gun to your head to do the work.

The beautiful part of this is that you can always go ahead and give us a new way to share news. Digg just scratched the surface.

It might seem a little too ranting if you are unaware of who ojbyrne is but this will help bring more light into the picture. http://owenbyrne.com/resume/

I do respect your criticism, though I think it's a bit hyperbolic. While no one held a gun to my head, I was repeatedly misled by people who I believed, mistakenly, had at least a small amount of integrity.

I am always reminded of the classic Hugh McLeod cartoon: http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/zzzzazzdggg...

Perhaps I'm in that bottom part of the pyramid, but the top section is well populated too.

As with most things Kevin, it was built by digg employees. During their off time of course (nudge, nudge, wink, wink).

But he's #1 in "tech", Owen!!!!11

here is something that I always wondered about, did he ever offer you some equity in digg for all the work you did?

Of course. My bitching and moaning is entirely due to the fact that others at the company have been able to sell their equity at attractive prices, while simultaneously flushing the company down the toilet.

Would you like to buy some shares?

Why are you so bitter Owen? Has that been discussed in another topic or post here?

It's mostly captured in the above comment. I'm not really all that bitter.

OH well the story of Digg in the beginning included you and now your no longer there making the above comments.

Really none of my business, but what is your Digg story after... 20 something hires coder off of rent-a-coder site and becomes wildly successful?

I got a little press coverage recently (or more properly our team did): http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/02/27/tripadvis...

Also I'm going to be a keynote speaker at the Dutch PHP Conference in June: http://www.phpconference.nl/

Mostly working hard and getting paid very well at my day job, saving money, trying to unload my digg shares ;-)

And rent-a-coder wasn't involved in digg in any way. Nor really was elance. That's part of the mythology they dreamed up.

Seems like you are not very happy with kevin for some reason. If it's because he didn't give enough credit for your work, well... let's say it's ok but if your comments are outta jealousy... thumbs down. (of course I've hardly heard of an owen related to digg.)

I'm sensitive to your accusation of jealousy because I probably am a bit jealous. However I (and most people who know the whole story) think it's justified. I have gotten a little notoriety out of the experience, however, and it's worth something (it got me my current job, for instance), so I intend to speak up about it as often as I can. There's plenty of people who joined digg long after me who are much more extreme about self-promotion. Probably why you haven't heard of me.