A method to retrieve the digg counts of a URL

digg.rb

require 'rubygems'
require 'json'
require 'open-uri'

# All your diggs, are belong to me
# I'm sure there is a better way, but this is a simple unauthenticated
# pull of digg counts for a URL. No bells.. No whistles..
def getDiggs(url)
  begin
    response = open("http://widgets.digg.com/buttons/count?url=#{url}")
    return JSON.parse(response.string.split("(")[1].split(");")[0])["diggs"]
  rescue
    return 0
  end
end

p getDiggs("http://theoatmeal.com/comics/shopping_cart")