Don't be so sure. Before digg committed its final internet seppuku by becoming a pinterest clone, its formerly-user-contributed feed became a feed for a few specific big media groups. It can happen, might happen, and in some respects has happened here (notice how a few contributors seem to consistently get through, however banal their posts or spammy their names?).

Dice, it seems, would happily shut the Firehose and give the front page feed to, say, CNN and Wired and Bennett Haselton and those types once they pay up. (Added bonus for them: no more "fuck beta" posts to roundfile.)