Some keen readers might have noticed the new Spotplex icon in the Networking section of the sidebar. I just got accepted into their beta trials today. I was a bit surprised as I only heard about Spotplex after they’d closed down their limited open window for beta applicants — but decided to go for it anyway. I consider it flattering to be let in so late.

In case you haven’t heard of Spotplex, it’s a new online service that automatically registers how often blog articles are read. They are then arranged in order of popularity on the pages of Spotplex so you can quickly catch a glimpse of what’s hot and glamorous on the blogosphere.

Due to the fact that it’s the reader-count that determines which articles make it to the frontpages, Spotplex has been hailed by some as the Digg-killer. While I’m sure that Digg now has such a cult-like following that Digg-killer is an overstatement, I do think the automatic-rating system has some pros over Digg. For example, I’m guessing that we can safely assume there will be no Spotplex mafia that has more control than other users of Spotplex. However, the nature of Digg and Spotplex is completely different — so I really think they shouldn’t be compared. Digg uses votes, Spotplex uses hitcount.

I’m still unsure whether Spotplex registers reader-hits from Spotplex itself in addition to regular inkblot readers — or if only regular readers are counted. If it’s the latter, then I’m unsure of whether inkblot earth has enough traffic (yet) to compete against some of the heavier hitters registered on Spotplex. A nice overview article on TechBuzz refers to that model as The Rich getting Richer. But in any case it’s always fun to participate in new kinds of online tech.