Yahoo is doing whatever they can to boost their overall value. Their latest venture is a Digg style news site they're calling Yahoo Buzz Beta which launches February 26, 2008.
When I checked it out today, Yahoo Buzz was still just a blog, but come tomorrow, the site should look a whole lot different. Valleywag managed to get their hands on a screen shot which can be seen in the gallery.
They're giving it three months to see how it stacks up to competing sites like digg.com that let users vote on top stories in various categories. In this initial beta period, only 100 sites will be able to access Yahoo Buzz. If things go well, anyone will be able to contribute to the network. Instead of "diggs," each article gets a "buzz score."
Yahoo is hopeful, but considering they don't even have an RSS feed set up, skepticism in the blogosphere is high.
Digg Competitor
Yahoo Buzz Beta
Trend Themes
1. News Aggregation Platforms - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop a news aggregation platform that incorporates user voting and engagement features.
2. Buzz Scoring System - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create a unique scoring system that measures the popularity and buzzworthiness of articles.
3. Increased User Contribution - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Build a platform that allows for a more inclusive and democratic approach to user-generated content.
Industry Implications
1. Media and Publishing - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Redesign the traditional media and publishing industry by integrating user voting and engagement features into news platforms.
2. Social Networking - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Combine the elements of social networking and news sharing to create a more interactive and engaging user experience.
3. Content Curation and Discovery - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop tools and platforms that improve content curation and discovery by leveraging user-generated buzz scores.