UPDATE: This item was, in fact, pretty lame, as Netscape does run Gawker Media stories just like any other. (No idea about Phonescoop, you'll have to ask blogger Eric Lin.)

A Reporters Without Borders study concludes that Yahoo is the worst censor among search engines in China. The news comes just a few weeks after UK and Irish journalists urged a Yahoo boycott following CEO Terry Semel's comment that he might be willing to report them all to the Nazis.

"All anyone sends on the WIN-wide mailing list is, 'Please digg my article.'" So says a member of AOL's blogging arm, Weblogs, Inc.

Thirty-six hours after AOL's "Digg killer" launches, this is still the site's top story, with three times the votes of any other.

So that's why Netscape managing editor C.K. Sample left a cryptic message about firing an AOLer on an unrelated news story. First day on the job and all, but C.K. meant to (and did) post his comment to this Netscape story about an AOL customer service rep from hell.

In the booming Silicon Valley economy, everyone's looking to buy or be bought. But not all offers are equal. How do you politely turn down a lowball without burning your bridge? Let's take a look at three turn-downs — none of which were publicly reported.

Looks like AOL's Netscape Beta has bigger problems than ugly voting buttons. One of the new site's top stories has a seemingly unrelated message from Netscape managing editor C.K. Sample (pictured):

Diggsketeers! When we last left our hero, his news-gathering site Digg.com was under attack from Dr. Netscrape's AOL NegaDigg Machine (Issue #47). But help was on the way, with a new Diggmobile — the post-Crisis-on-Infinite-Earths Digg 3 (Issue #41)! Will Diggman succumb to the cosmic powers of the evil Dr. Netscrape? Or is the Power of Digg stronger than the AOL Force? While the battle unfolds, watch the superbattler stat sheet!

You weren't on your computer night, you were at some kick-ass party. So you're just now finding out that AOL launched its highly anticipated clone of social news site Digg.com at Beta.Netscape.com.

Welcome to the new Netscape. Today's hot stories — voted on by you! Here's the top story on AOL Digg clone Netscape Beta, from midnight:

Oh boy, AOL's Digg rip-off is here! (That's unfair. It's more a rip-off of Social Porn.) AOL exec Jason Calacanis links to Flickr'd photos tagged "NNLaunch," where members of his "Project X" work on AOL's "Digg killer." (That's Jason's heavily rumored Netscape revival.)

[Update: Digg, meet AOL's Digg killer.]

Tipster "Dropped Packet" submits this screencap with a note:

Did AOL exec Jason Calacanis attend the same conference everyone else did? Because he says:

Hide the porn and stop searching for "Bush is a loser" — the US government today asked Internet companies to keep records of e-mails and web searches. Not demanded — they'd need Congress's approval for that — but asked. Like, as a favor, in between the Chinese censorship and the Nazi collaboration. The Attorney General and FBI director made this request to AOL, Microsoft, Comcast, and Google (and Verizon, a known informant). Who will sell us out first? Let's guess!

Jason Calacanis fancies himself a pot-stirrer. And the rising AOL exec really does twist more panties than a Chinese laundry. But he's a very busy man, so as an act of service journalism, here's a list of whom he's pissed off — this week.

Right. I just got around to playing last week's Gillmor Gang tech podcast. It's safe to listen.

Nick Carr, long-time flamebaiter turned linkbaiter, declares Wikipedia dead. (No fair pointing at the very live site!) We can't let Nick be the only one gunning for Steve Gillmor's coroner job. So in the interest of upping our own fake authority, here's Valleywag's table of what's wagged, sagged, and body-bagged. Apologies to Wired — that is, we're so very sorry.

Just so we all know what we're snarking this week, here's what the Big 3 5 7 plus or minus 2 are rolling out.

Since you loved it last time, here's what tech's top dogs did this weekend.