Just now AOL made its public launch of www.beta.netscape.com, the long-rumored successor to Netscape.com. Being an AOL employee, I've been checking out the private beta for a couple weeks, and I'm pretty impressed. The new Netscape.com (or "New N" as it's been referred to internally) takes the formula proven by sites like Digg and Newsvine and marries it to the editorial process of mainstream blogs and more conventional news sites, and the result is surprisingly cohesive. Content on the New N, e.g. links to news stories, cool web sites, videos, etc., is submitted by regular users like you and I and promoted via Digg-like "Vote!" button, and popular posts wind up on the front page. Where the New N diverges from Digg is the editorial layer. Expert "anchors" pick out the most popular stories of the day and promote them to a box at the top of the front page, where they tune in with their own commentary, related links, and so on. It sounds cheesy when put like that, but the result is fresh and intelligible news. The site has a variety of "channels," i.e. categories (30 in all), ranging from politics and celebrities to video games and (gasp!) sex, and channels have their own anchors (you'll probably recognize a few names from others Weblogs, Inc. blogs) highlighting stories in each. Also present are all of the social features you've come to expect, including comments (duh), friends lists, RSS feeds, tagging, and more.

It's worth noting that the paint is by no means dry on the New N, and that "beta" appellation is well-earned. The site launched literally moments ago and hiccups have proven not common. Bugs aside, it'll be awhile before I'm sold on this thing, but as a companion to more tech-oriented "memetrackers," I think the New N is off to a great start. Go check it out before all the good usernames are taken, submit some stories, post some comments, and feel free to add me as a friend.