The first 10 Navigators: We've hired three of the top 12 DIGG users, the #1 user from Newsvine, the #1 user from Reddit, and a bunch of Weblogs, Inc. folks.

The word is getting out about the first 10 Netscape Navigators (people who took “the offer” to become paid bookmarkers). You can see their photos on the right hand column at www.netscape.com.

Here are the basic details, we hired:

1. Three of the top 12 DIGG users
2. The #1 user on Newsvine
3. The #1 user on Reddit
4. We hired a bunch of folks from Weblogs, Inc. (since we know and love them

It is important to note that this is all an experiment. No one knows for sure if this model of “paying people for work” us gonna work. I mean, it’s crazy to think that people could be paid to do a job and do it with integrity–that’s just crazy talk.

Seriously, the fact is that the top 10 users on DIGG are responsible for 30% of the front page stories on DIGG. That’s 3% of total front page stories each!!! Think about that for a second… the top 10 users of DIGG do 3% of the work each–that is stunning. They get paid nothing but they are responsible for 3% of the total content on the home page. Wow. Like WOW, WOW, WOW!

My hope is that the first 10 Navigators do such an amazing job that we can extend our offer out to other members of the DIGG, NEWSVINE, and REDDIT top 10.

HOW CAN YOU BECOME THE NEXT NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR?
Folks have been asking me the best way to get a paid bookmarking job with us. The best thing you can do to get on our radar and have a chance of getting a gig is to participate in the new Netscape. Of course, being in the top ten on DIGG/Delicious/Reddit/Newsvine is also great. However, I’d also like to see more of these folks participating on Netscape as well.

… and you thought it would be a slow summer.

UPDATE1: There is a story on DIGG about the new Navigators here. The DIGG community is supporting the three users who have left DIGG for Netscape!
UPDATE2: There is a Netscape story about the new Navigators here.