Within two years after founder Kevin Rose launched Digg.com, the site had captured 11 million users and become one of the nation’s most popular Web sites. Today, its monthly readership numbers 30 million, eclipsing such major online news sites as the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Clearly, Rose had hit on something that filled Web users’ communications needs and provided them a sense of community. Only months after Digg launched, Rose was offered—and declined—$4 million for the site. He was right to refuse the offer: after its first 18 months online, Digg was worth an estimated $60 million. Use of the Digg Web site seems simple. But Digg uses complex mathematical algorithms to identify those who might be interested in the site. Rose refers to these people as “prescient users”—the Diggers who are the most likely candidates to “digg” stories that eventually become very popular with the vast user audience. In addition to the Web site, Rose hosts a video podcast called Diggnation. That video feature allows him an opportunity to comment on the week’s stories, make jokes and comments, and generally connect with his viewers. The podcasts convey a party-boy image that has made Rose a cult hero with his mostly male audience. The weekly show attracts about 250,000 viewers.

• How does Rose facilitate two-way communication with Digg users?

• Although in real life Kevin Rose is a successful business owner worth millions of dollars, to his Web followers he seems to be simply a computer nerd who’s cool. What types of electronic media does Rose use to communicate with his audience?