I have the same usage pattern as you (and I would like to see a bar on HN as well), however there's a huge difference between Digg and Reddit in this regard: th

I have the same usage pattern as you (and I would like to see a bar on HN as well), however there's a huge difference between Digg and Reddit in this regard: the Reddit bar is opt-in. If you haven't opted in, the URL will simply forward to the page, without ever showing the bar. The Digg bar, in contrast, is on by default. You can shut it off, sure, but that's not how it is for new visitors, which may have gotten the link. So yeah, it's the same difference as between a useful newsletter and a spammer: opt-in vs. "opt-out".