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Sun Tzu would have loved the Digg Debacle of 2007. I like to believe Tzu retired to become a sage PR practitioner leading a team somewhere and would have known just how to keep something like the Digg HD Key Revolt from happening.

Or, at least would have seen it coming and would have some talking points ready. In the end, the riot and the surrender of Digg’s founders to the onslaught can either be seen as “Power to the People” or “A Sad Case of Allowing the Tiger to Chase and Swallow its Own Tail.”

“Maneuvering with an army is advantageous; with an undisciplined multitude, most dangerous.” - Sun Tzu

In case you’re out of the loop, earlier this week a Digg article was posted containing a “key” to unlock HD-DVD movies so they can be pirated. It led to other Digg articles, a threat of a lawsuit, the taking down of the content containing the key, rioting, and finally, an article of surrender by Digg’s founders. Today, there are tons of articles and comments containing the key on the Digg site.

What’s this got to do with the Art of War? Plenty. Sun Tzu new how to organize an army, outmaneuver an enemy and keep his troops in line. He knew that groups or communities require leadership, and that laissez-faire leadership never flies when managing an organization. Michael S. Malone, in an article titled, The First Amendment vs. Patents in Web 2.o, sums it up directly:

“One of the things we’re learning about the Web 2.0 world is that all communities aren’t alike; when you let millions of anonymous users design your product, you also let them determine your fate. And Digg has put itself in the hands of an army of postadolescents with too much education and too much free time, the age cohort that gets its news from “The Colbert Report” and holds the anarchistic view that all information should be, in fact, “wants to be,” free.”

Organizations need not be held hostage by their followers. Sun Tzu offers some advice:

• Divide and conquer. Arrange your army into smaller and easier to manage groups. Appoint leaders and work with them to communicate your desires to the masses. If you need to cut off one group, you can do it swiftly and deliberately.
• Plan in advance of the attack. Utilize spies. Think about the next step. Plan for an onslaught. Be ready to oppose any strategy.
• Don’t give away your position. Keep your forces hidden from your enemies and your followers. Make sure you always have a hidden attack ready and waiting.
• Be ready to make alliances, but understand the motives and the strategies of those whom you are seeking to call your friend. Be ready to spring an attack of your own if the alliance fails.

Strategy in communication, like in war, requires planning, engagement and feedback. All organizations often start out as loose associations, but inevitably must be brought together under a common strong leader. Otherwise, these groups faction and disassemble into smaller groups. Or, as in the case of Digg or King Louis XVI, their leaders succumb to the masses and end up loosing their heads.

By the way, the cyber rioters utilized a clear Sun Tzu observation:

“The onrush of a conquering force is like the bursting of pent-up waters into a chasm a thousand fathoms deep.” - Sun Tzu

I own at least two translations of Sun Tzu’s Art of War. It never fails to inspire me to think ahead, look to the future and become a better analyst of people’s actions and responses. This ancient manuscript has saved me from failure in so many instances, I recommended it to anyone preparing to face a crisis, planning a business launch, or wanting to become a better strategist.