DP should just make a separate section in the freebies section for digg and stumbleupon trades and make it hidden and make a requirement of maybe 50 posts to access it. The digg staff wouldn't even bother to sign up then post to access it.
Personally, I feel that the digg trades are inherently wrong. If you like a story then, by all means, digg it or stumble it, but doing this simply for a trade without any real regard to the quality of the story is not a good idea.
In my opinion it is much different. It is abusing the system. When people digg, stumble etc sites only for the purpose of getting their own sites done without regard for the quality of the sites it defeats the whole purpose.
And when people buy links, spam their sites onto directories, spam url's onto blog comments etc, it all defeats the purpose of search engines. Abusing digg is just one of many ways to get traffic that isnt exactly ethical, but people will never stop it. I know I wont.
BUT - If you buy relevant links on relevant sites then it is not abuse. If you place a quality website into an appropriate category of a directory it is not spamming. If you place a link in a useful and relevant blog post it is not spamming. If you digg or stumble a site that you truly like then it is not spamming.
That is all true, but while its so easy to leverage a tonne of traffic from Digg with minimal work you will never ever stop it. Especially for the MFA type sites, were a banned site means nothing more than another $1 .info domain. And before anyone cries at me, no my sites are not MFA but the same principal applies. I can easily drive 5k a day traffic to one of my sites, while this can be achieved for 10 minutes work with a few Digg accounts I cant see anyone stopping doing it.
Decided to join Digg. LOL will I be banned? Perhpas I should have read the TOS. Backed out of joining Myspace 'cuz I actually read the TOS. They said not to market. And what are they known for? bands marketing themselves. First thing they want me to do is spam my friends. "Invite Your Friends? Invite some of your friends to Digg. Already have friends who are digging? ...add them to your friends list. Invite up to six friends to join Digg"