[img src="" caption="" credit="" alt=""]
[img src="" caption="" credit="" alt=""]A curious thing has happened with Kevin Rose's new startup Pownce: the Digg users really hate it. For a service whose success will rely on the founder's credentials and referring traffic over from the popular news site, that's a little worrying.
Mashable writer Stan was one of the first to review Pownce in depth (it's invite only), and, despite wanting to loathe the service and write off Digg as a lucky break, he wrote an extremely positive review. Others who bothered to test the service - like Allen Stern and Rafe Needleman - also had only good things to say despite wanting to hate the service initially. Conceptually, at least, it seemed like a pointless idea, but the flawless execution convinced testers otherwise.
Our review made its way to Digg, where Pownce was met with endless negativity. Supportive comments were quickly buried. Rose was widely derided. Anyone who liked the site was a fanboy, and probably engaged in some kind of sexual relationship with Rose, said angry Digg users (ok, I'm paraphrasing). The key factor: none of those commenters had actually tested the service.
At the moment, one of the most popular stories on Digg is entitled: "Kevin Rose & Pownce Get Pwned by Uncov", in which potshots are taken at Rose and Pownce. Further insults are piled on by the Diggers. If this distaste is directed at Pownce itself, then it'll simply mean that the site has trouble getting traction. But if it's aimed at Rose, it might be troublesome for Digg as its userbase aligns against its management.