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The article is down, but here is the text from Google's cache:

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Something interesting has just come across one of my networks (hat tip to datadial), just a few days after Digg have announced that they are building a replacement for the much loved Google Reader, they have (coincidentally?) disappeared from the primary google index.
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Is it an SEO penalty for links? That seems to be the number one reason that brands are getting booted from google’s index these days… Some conspiracy theorists will no doubt be proclaiming its something to do with their announcement to build a replica of the now defunct Google reader, but personally I really cant see that having any effect. Could there?
Doing a site: search for Digg certainly demonstrates that they are no longer in the index:
[image unavailable]
Its likely (only if it is link based however) that it would be down to what individuals who submit content do after the fact – ie. sending spammy links at their posts to try and build the pagerank, and create “authority” which they then pass back to their own sites. Digg has long been listed in every “linkwheel” sellers handbook, and if that is the reason then what does it mean for every community site on the internet?

Will we have to manually aprove all new links soon at this rate? Come on Google – WTF – let the internet know what you’re doing please.

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Without the images, maybe I am missing some context. But it seems hyperbolic, considering digg is not serving a robots.txt anymore [1]. It is probably just a blunder on Digg's part.

[1]: At the time of my comment, digg was serving an xhtml document with status 404 at /robots.txt. Now it appears to be a valid robots file.

PS: I am enjoying the irony of having a copy of the article, even though the site is down, because of Google's cache. Need to pontificate about how Google is potentially evil but can't keep your server running? Don't worry, people can read it via Google's cache.

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