14,000 posts

Written By: - Date published: 12:46 pm, April 25th, 2014 - 32 comments
Categories: admin, The Standard - Tags:

Dolphin Over World 2010Appropriately it looks like the post this time was the Anzac day post that mickysavage put up this morning. Looking back I see that the previous post milestone was just before October 1st last year.

Posts per month April 2014

Over the this time period a number of authors who have run into conflicts between the time required for writing blog posts and either their work or family time over the last six months. Not to mention the inevitable exhaustion factors of running out of things to say. I’m actually surprised that we are still managing to put out quite so many posts (see chart below). We’re always looking for authors.

 

So if you have something to say, then email me at lprent [at] primary.geek.nz. I’m on a stay at home ‘holiday’ next week, so now would be a good time because I can pay more attention to them than when I have my head deep inside some code..

Comments per month April 2014

Of course having arrangements with a number of other blogging sites to repost their content into our often raucous maelstrom of commenting debate has helped a lot. If any other sites are interested in similar arrangements to get your posts viewed and commented on by a wider audience, then let me know. If there is one thing you can be sure of, it is that posts on this site will get comments and feedback.

Average comments per post April 2014

Similarly, while I try to keep the RSS feed on the right up to date, but I’m always missing some. We primarily provide this to allow smaller sites on the left to get some read traffic to their sites. If you’re generally leftish then I’m happy to add you to it. Ideally when you point it out a site, then also give me a default squarish logo image for your site. The code collects the image that you have referenced on the post. But text posts will use the default logo.

And a couple of other graphs..

Average words per comment April 2014

 

Total comment words per month April 2014

 

Damn, that is writing a large book per month….

My limited time since October has been largely expended in making the mechanics of the site more sustainable when we hit the kinds of peak loadings that happen leading into the election. The last thing that we need is for the voices of the broad labour movement who write posts and comments on this site to fall into a overload black hole as it gets too popular.

This site is now pretty well dispersed into cloud servers with a whole lot of caching and autoscaling of resources. The controlling code literally automatically buys excess capacity when it needs it to fulfill demand, and drops it when the demand falls. It is pretty cool to watch.

There are still some tweaks that I have to put into place but essentially that task has been done.

Apart from working for a broad labour/left movement victory in the election, I suspect that my next six months will be expended on getting our finances that pay for those servers on a more sustainable basis.

 

Notes:

  1. The trend lines in the graphs are 6 month rolling averages. Because of the cyclic nature of our year and a tendency towards spikes when political news is high, we usually get a peaks during the year that are unrelated to anything that we’re doing. I find that this time period is pretty effective at dampening out the noise.
  2. Obviously since it is 6 and a half days to the end of the month of April from when I pulled this data set just after midday, there is going to be a dip in actual values (and a lesser one in trend lines) for this month. Could the more excitable and mathematically illiterate trolls please desist from reading too much into this months numbers. We’re only about 80% of the way through the month.
  3. The calculation for words is (in SQL) for those interested

    sum(length(comment_content)
    - length(
    replace(
    replace(
    replace(
    replace(
    replace(ltrim(rtrim(comment_content)), '\n', ' '),
    ' ', ' |'),
    '| ', ''),
    '|', ''),
    ' ', '')
    ) +1
    ) as words,

    I tested this against a documented and accurate word counting CREATE FUNCTION looking at a alphanumeric on a few 80 thousand comments character by character. The difference was less than 1%. However the test took about 15 minutes to run. Running this abbreviated algorithm (most of which is getting rid of back to back whitespace) on the entire 720k comments took seconds.
  4. Yeah the graphs are a bit naff. Looks like whatever library LibreCalc was using isn’t that good at generating PNGs from its graphs. Could be wordpress itself as well. Looks like it did a bad job at an attempted dithering. Can’t be bothered re-exporting them out as raw images and letting a decent graphics tool redo the job. Doesn’t affect the values. Click on them for a large (still bad) image.

32 comments on “14,000 posts ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Colonial Viper 1
    25 April 2014 at 8:56 pm

    Always appreciate your very valuable work on keeping The Standard up and running, lprent!

  2. Ad 2
    25 April 2014 at 9:00 pm

    …and to Karol, Mickey, and The Usual Suspects.
    You all deserve your own Ipredict algorithm.

    • lprent 2.1
      26 April 2014 at 12:32 am

      Yeah, well I’m the techhead that keeps the system running for people who can communicate. I’m crap at writing things that aren’t code. Except when I get a bit irritated of course. Then I tend to communicate pretty clearly,

  3. phillip ure 3
    25 April 2014 at 9:16 pm

    and it’s not a pissing contest or anything..

    ..but the post-total/searchengine @ whoar is about to roll over 87,000..

    ..looking at that number makes me feel tired..

    • Draco T Bastard 3.1
      25 April 2014 at 9:55 pm

      Ah, I still remember the days when I was top commenter…

      😈 😆

      • lprent 3.1.1
        26 April 2014 at 12:49 am

        You probably are still in the top 10 or so. I just have to figure out what indexes to tweak so that the plugin can navigate a solution out of the 721500 odd comments and I can find out if I am still in that top commenting echelon myself.

    • Ed 3.2
      25 April 2014 at 10:16 pm

      A contest doesn’t have to be two way – I suspect most would agree that whoar sprays more urine . . .

    • Murray Olsen 3.3
      26 April 2014 at 12:49 am

      Yet you spend all your time here. Is whoar post and forget? No ongoing conversations like here?

  4. mickysavage 4
    25 April 2014 at 9:17 pm

    Cheers Lynn. And you should take a bow because I now appreciate how much work goes into keeping this site going.

    It is fascinating the way that there is a very predictable regular viewing of the blog but if something happens (e.g. Shane Jones’ retirement) then people flock here to get an understanding of what is happening.

    The Anzac post that I put up was probably the shortest post I have ever done! It is clear to me that this place is a place where people just want to discuss issues and sometimes all that is required is a brief post setting the subject.

    There is a bit of testosterone driven competition between the different blog sites. Slater claims the biggest number of views but I would question the accuracy of his statistics and in any event it relies on gun porn, biblical quotes and videos. Farrar also claims popularity but again you have to read the comments. On both sites they drive me spare. They are short, superficial and the writers are totally lacking in any appreciation that they may be wrong.

    Over here some complain that discussions can be over the top but often I feel that my understanding of an issue has improved after Felix, PB, Ad or any of a number of others have subjected the post to their withering analysis. The discussions here are completely different.

    My daughter reminds me that this site probably never persuades any swinging voter to change their vote. It is important however to change the thinking of the parties on issues and to change the thinking of the media on the parties. And it is a place for activists to educate themselves and develop their thinking on issues.

    • Draco T Bastard 4.1
      25 April 2014 at 9:59 pm

      My daughter reminds me that this site probably never persuades any swinging voter to change their vote.

      Possibly but I happen to think that if a swinging voter was in here that they would change their vote as most arguments for the left are well thought out, logical and have facts to back them up.

    • lprent 4.2
      26 April 2014 at 12:47 am

      I tend to view a site like this as largely to make people aware of how others of similar viewpoints are thinking. It means that the surprises are limited and people can make decisions based on how they know others will react.

      Then they act on their similarities rather than their differences and despite their known differences. The effect is a more concerted action rather than dissipating effort in pointless dissension. They know that they will be listened to (and disagreed with) rather than simply ignored.

      You notice it when you run across people who don’t observe and never engage. Or who engage but try to demand that others think or will acquiesce through inaction.

      Engagement is a process consuming effort rather than something that happens by default.

      BTW: Just to reiterate. I’m a arrogant pain in the arse. I normally disagree with everyone. I like it when someone can actually make me think about my opinions.

      • Draco T Bastard 4.2.1
        26 April 2014 at 1:58 am

        You notice it when you run across people who don’t observe and never engage. Or who engage but try to demand that others think or will acquiesce through inaction.

        Engagement is a process consuming effort rather than something that happens by default.

        Yep, and that’s why I keep coming back here – even if it is only to tell sorrylands that he’s delusional 😀

        BTW: Just to reiterate. I’m a arrogant pain in the arse. I normally disagree with everyone. I like it when someone can actually make me think about my opinions.

        well, I’m arrogant but I try not to be a PITA. That said, I’ll disagree with everyone who can’t back up their logic with facts.

        Facts happen to be very, very important.

      • finbar 4.2.2
        26 April 2014 at 2:24 pm

        Bang on Iprent.It is just a vehicle.If its direction alters a voters direction, in favour of the directions intent,all good.If not as you say,it is to engage debate and social interaction, of in the main, political discourse.

  5. phillip ure 5
    25 April 2014 at 9:53 pm

    “..and develop their thinking on issues..”

    ..+ 1..

    • lprent 6.1
      26 April 2014 at 1:38 am

      Why thank you. And I always liked our semi-adversarial relationship 🙂 My loss of certainty is ….. disturbing.

      Please resume normal relations at once !

      😈

  7. anker 7
    26 April 2014 at 12:32 am

    Yes thanks for all your hard work. And thanks too to all the regular posters.

    I find from reading the standard I get a more in depth understanding of the issues. It has also strengthened my commitment to getting a progressive government voted in this September.

    Another spin off from this site is that I am able to be more persuasive in my political discussions with people. Many still rely on the msm, so even quite progressive people get taken in by a lot of the spin. Being able to challenge, largely due to the Standard, has a ripple effect, which is helpful to the left.

    • Draco T Bastard 7.1
      26 April 2014 at 2:18 am

      I find from reading the standard I get a more in depth understanding of the issues. It has also strengthened my commitment to getting a progressive government voted in this September.

      and that is the highest complement.

    • blue leopard 7.2
      26 April 2014 at 10:34 am

      +1 Anker, I thoroughly agree with everything you wrote here, well said.

  8. Murray Olsen 8
    26 April 2014 at 12:53 am

    Thanks for keeping The Standard running.

  9. Jenny 9
    26 April 2014 at 2:13 am

    All good.

  10. miravox 10
    26 April 2014 at 2:46 am

    14,000 posts – a fantastic achievement for all the volunteer posters and the behind the scenes techy stuff that I have very little idea about. Thanks heaps to you all. I’ve a much greater understanding of political and various other issues from the posts on this site.

    Thanks also to the well-reasoned, and sometimes very funny, commenters who provide great examples about how to discuss a political point in the real world. I guess I should also say I appreciate some of the heated debate as well – good for confirming, or not, certain views and being aware of the other sides of an argument.

    • Pete George 10.1
      26 April 2014 at 8:23 am

      Congratulations to The Standard.Blogging can be hard graft and very time consuming.

      I guess I should also say I appreciate some of the heated debate as well – good for confirming, or not, certain views and being aware of the other sides of an argument.

      It’s good to see that said. Robust debate and being able to see other sides to arguments are valuable aspects of politics.

      • miravox 10.1.1
        26 April 2014 at 8:31 am

        Sorry Pete, but heated debate is not what is involved with your passive-aggressive approach. I’m just exasperated that you could be so disingenuous.

  11. Jenny 11
    26 April 2014 at 3:32 am

    To celebrate this milestone, my platitude for the day is…..

    To err is human, to really screw up takes a commuter….

    Damn!

    To err is human to really screw up takes commutator….

    Ugh!

    To err is human, to really screw up takes a computer

  12. geoff 12
    26 April 2014 at 7:59 am

    Thanks lprent, I muchly appreciate your efforts.

  13. ianmac 13
    26 April 2014 at 9:22 am

    Very important is the Standard to those of us who are Superannuants and therefore out of the the main swing of things. Also living in small town NZ is a bit isolating. But reading the daily points of view here is valuable. Daily fix instead of coffee.

    The nonsense that some right wing trolls put up are not worth the effort that some put in to negate them. The trolls are just having fun in between pulling the tails of their cats.

    On the other hand I want to read what people like Matthew Hooten write because it is important to “know” your enemies.

    So 1prent please keep up the great work in providing this portal of mostly like-minded people.
    We salute you.

  14. freedom 14
    26 April 2014 at 10:50 am

    Gratitude and relief mix easily when considering the presence of The Standard in the blogsphere.

    With its clear content guidelines, its refusal to employ unreasonable censorship and the fair as fair moderation, The Standard allows the diversity of New Zealand’s political views to be discussed in an open and often entertaining manner.

    It goes without saying that there is widespread appreciation of lprent’s tireless technical efforts and this can never be overstated. (one small note for the to do list: it would be really helpful if comment numbering on the mobile version was possible )

    Like many, I regret not being in a position to financially support the site as I would like to. In recognition of this I do my damnedest to ensure people know about The Standard and am regularly pointing people in its direction. Especially when I come across lost souls that want to discuss politics and think KB and WOBH or TDB are worthwhile destinations to do so. (see sentence 2)

    It is not unrealistic to say The Standard has become a valid and crucial vehicle for political debate and political news in NZ. Despite the animosity that is occasionally shared and the odd drama here and there, the collection of honesty, humour and the broad range of fact based analysis that transpires on a daily basis, has meant for many, The Standard has become their primary source of political information.

    A big big thank you to all the authors of the 14,000 posts. One thing I am grateful for is how many solid articles appear here on topics the MSM will not touch. Although people naturally source or link to some articles from elsewhere, they come here to nut it all out. It is these discussions and the community that they build which, imho, make The Standard the only destination worth its salt when it comes to bouncing views off others in the maelstrom of NZ politics.

    I look forward to the next 14,000 posts

    and thanks again lprent, for putting up with all of us.

  15. Enough is Enough 15
    28 April 2014 at 9:34 am

    When is r0b coming back from his Standard sebbatical. We miss him

    • lprent 15.1
      28 April 2014 at 10:52 am

      Good question. I’ll have to ask how his hands are.

      I wouldn’t hold out too much hope though. Authors tend to stay away once they escape have a sabbatical. In fact they seem to really dive into their actual work with renewed vigour.

      He could be the exception.

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