Hey, remember our friends at local Internet innovator, Digg? We talked in brief with the founder, Mr. Kevin Rose, a little while back. Well, according to a press release issued by Microsoft Corp., the two companies have signed a three-year deal to collaborate on advertising that will be relevant to Digg's users.

Quote the press release:

Microsoft's advanced advertising technology and sales force combined with Digg's unique and growing user community make possible the three-year collaboration, grounded in the companies' commitment to technological innovation and user experience.

Is the translation that Microsoft want to make some money by selling stuff to Digg's "17 million unique monthly visitors"? In a targeted manner? Sounds like it to us. And, frankly, good for both of them. There's a lot of great content-driven Web sites out there, and if Digg, one of the best, can leverage its users to actually make some money, then great. We enjoy it when companies whose services we utilize take steps to make money and, thus, stay in business.

Of course, the execution of the deal is crucial -- Digg users are a vocal, opinionated (and multitudinous) bunch and we wager they would quickly see through shenanigans or obnoxious hucksterism. But if done right, perhaps all three parties -- Digg, its users, and even the folks from Redmond -- will benefit.