Written By:
Steve Pierson - Date published:
5:57 pm, November 20th, 2008 - 28 comments
Categories: blogs -
Tags: the standard
Happy 2000th post everyone. I’ve brought you all your favourite present – statistics!
Our first 1000 posts took nine months, the latest 1000 took six.
We’ve had 67,000 comments all up, 41,000 since we hit 1000 posts, and 10,000 in the last month.
It wouldn’t happen without all of you commentators (well, most of you commentators) and all the other readers. You and your contributions are the real lifeblood of this blog. Without youse, it would just be us screaming into the dark, unanswering ether (as it happens, Tane has a recurring nightmare a bit like that).
Big ups to all the other blogs who link to us – even those of you who don’t say very nice things about us, at least you’re showing that we matter to you.
Cheers also to the journos who know that when we criticise the media it’s nothing personal. It would be nice if you would stop calling us Labour-affiliated though.
Biggest plaudit goes to Lynn. Without his techs-pertise this thing wouldn’t have got off the ground in the first place and would have fallen apart long ago.
As for the next 1000 posts, we’ve got plenty more ideas about how to make The Standard bigger, brighter, and betterer. So stay tuned.
PS. I left your real present under your chair, have a look-see.
[Tane: I’ve fixed some of your typos Steve, long may it continue.]
Congrats!!! But what are these “bogs” that link to your site? There’s nowhere the blogosphere can’t go!
And how many posts have there been about our Prime Minister John Key?? My guess would be about 50%. Quite the obsession you leftists have about Mr Key – Now he is Prime Minister will you continue your obsession – or will you address wider issues.
Well regardless I have enjoyed posting sice Day one and until I get banned I will continue to do so. I suspect now NZ is getting right in behind Prime Minister John Key, and all you have said about him has failed to materalise or even become a story (inspite of your diligent but fruitless efforts), both your readership and comments and even posts will drop off until closer to the election.
[lprent: You can tell this after what – 2 days in office, and much of it outside of the country? Always nice to meet someone with that much faith.]
Congrats on a great job Standardistas.
As a relatively new chum to this site I am pleased to be here and have learned heaps. As a resident in a small South Island town I am a bit isolated but now at least as a reader, I feel sort of connected. Keep ’em rolling.
The dog is under my chair.
And it needs a bath!!
But thanks anyway, I look forward to the next 1000.
Search for John Key: http://www.thestandard.org.nz/?s=john+key
1-80 pages… so guessing around 800 posts.
Yep, awesome site guys 🙂 keep up the good work
I wonder when Monty is going to start a blog…
So 40% of posts on a blog about New Zealand politics mention the leader of the National Party. That sounds pretty reasonable to me.
Seeing all the right wingers complain about you guys all the time you must be doing something right.
[lprent: Personally I think that they’re usually just astonished that someone has the effrontery to disagree with them. Even more so when it isn’t just mindless slogans. In the blogosphere of course it probably has something to do with the gender and age group that is most common. They do tend to be transient fashion victims.]
Actually infused’s numbers are bullshit – that count of 800 includes posts that mention John Key in the comments.
Like these two from today:
http://www.thestandard.org.nz/goff-announces-shadow-cabinet/
http://www.thestandard.org.nz/nz-labour-supporters-site-launched/
Congrats on having a successful blog.
[lprent: deleted – probably d4j – aren’t you banned]
Infused’s numbers are wrong, it appears. There are twenty posts per page, so multiplying 20 times eighty pages would suggest 1,600 posts, or 80% of the posts, discussed John Key. This is quite staggering really.
Well done on the two thousand posts though. Some of the analysis has been really interesting, and it’s refreshing to see an alternative perspective on the blogosphere. I think by and large the comments moderation has been very productive, and while there is lively debate a lot of the time, and some of us end up irritating each other from time to time, you guys do a good job.
I looked under my chair and couldn’t find a present. So fell for that one.
[lprent: Don’t be daft. If you want to find out trivia questions, just ask. It is easy to write a sql query. I wonder how often I’ve used the word ‘idiot’ in comments…. Of course looking under your chair probably qualifies…]
2000 posts of unintelligent partisan hackery? I suppose some sort of congratulation is in order, but I’m having trouble of thinking what would be an appropriate award.
http://sarasotadetail.com/gallery2/d/7412-1/get-a-brain-morans.jpg
This will have to do – Is Robbo still around, I hope he enjoys it.
[lprent: Ah TDS – still the same lack of wit we’ve come to detest]
morans? what are morans?
HS – it doesn’t seem to stop you being one of the more prolific posters, feel free to go somewhere more ‘objective’, like maybe the Herald?
Come on, lighten up LP. It’s no great secret that a very high proportion of the posts here are about John Key. 80% seems about right, and I don’t think you guys should be sensitive about it. You are rightly celebrating 2,000 posts for what is, what, the second most-read blog in New Zealand after just more than a year? That’s a big achievement and I wasn’t being cute about congratulating you, and I genuinely did compliment you guys on the achievement.
Oh, and just for the record, I didn’t actually look under my chair.
[lprent: It isn’t in that order. If you ask I’ll query it, but since JK appeared to be the only target the Nat’s were willing to put up, it is high. But I suspect that we’re going to have a *lot* of fun with the other pigeons perching on the roost as well. They’re going to have problems hiding their lack of competence behind his smile now.]
Well done guys, and I hope that you have the energy to keep up the blogging. You have added a lot, and definitely more balance, to the political blogosphere.
I have also appreciated your moderation so that the comments section doesn’t deteriorate to the level of the sewer.
To those who have commented above about the number of posts mentioning John Key – we have just finished an election campaign, and given National rarely let anyone else speak (and when they did they put their foot in their mouth), it’s hardly surprising that he got quite a few mentions.
Congrats to the standard.
I know it’s a piece of software, but hey, that’s what is making it all happen. Well done lprent.
Well done people, and thanks especially to Lynn.
I suspect opposition will only increase the hits, and that the trolls shall grow weary.
Thanks so much Standard. You are one of the best things to have happened in NZ politics recently (apart from all the great things Helen and team have done). I do worry about your sustainability though – might you just consider allowing a few ads for really ethical things? After all the original Standard had ads.
Anyhow I am feeling positive as have just been to one of the those wonderful student events happening around the country. This was in the performing arts and what talent and innovation NZ is producing. I think back to those days when Labour Prime Minister Peter Fraser and his wife Janet (great name) dreamed about NZ having its own state-run orchestra (which he started), broadcaster, ballet, opera, theatre, visual arts etc and training its own students for these, so talented young people didn’t have to go overseas to learn. Helen has carried on their dream promoting the arts in all its diversity, and we are producing and employing some great talent – and they are doing more amazing things than the Frasers and the original Standard readers could have imagined.
Congratulations ‘The Standard’ and good post Clinton.
I know I take an opposing view to you guys, but it’s nice to feel welcome.
The fact that I’m reading this blog, and occasionally commenting means I’m trying to challenge my preconceptions.
Plus, I like what I see from Goff and King (sorry guys but Clark’n Cullen blowed). So I’m looking forward to a new era of consensus politics.
NX et al: We always try to make people feel welcome. Well apart from the genus troll of course. But that is just a bit of Darwinian self-selection from the BOFH side of my otherwise charming personality.
Well except for when earth sciences, programming, voting patterns, or one of my other main
obsessionsinterests gets triggered. Coming to think of it most of the authors here have their own little areas as well.But we all definitely have a congruence of attitudes about mindless trolls. Personally I think that their time is done on the blogs. Can’t think of many people that want to read their points of view
I enjoy the mix of humour and serious posts on here which is a welcome haven from the MSM 🙂 Agree with NX I like what Ive seen so far of Goff and King, look a tight unit.
yeh this is a top notch set up.. fantastic job.
Sidenote: Why the fuck am I posting at 2am?
Add my voice to the chorus of thanks and congratulations!
There will be interesting times ahead. Advocating for the left during a Labour led government kept things interesting, positive and funny around here. Holding the right to account will be different. The attacking game is so much easier to play (and therefore I think much less interesting). I hope that the change in focus doesn’t change the essential character of the blog — I’m confident that all will be good, and I look forward to the developments hinted at in the OP to take The Standard from strength to strength!
Sprout I am not TDS.
Congrats to the site – as it’s doing so well why don’t you chaps allow advertising on – who knows the site might become a money maker for Lynn rather than draining his wallet.
What I like about the Standard is that everyone who posts seems to realise the importance of political activism to a healthy democracy. Everyone would have voted seriously and be able to justify their vote, or even their considered non-vote. I just don’t understand people who don’t know, don’t care, about the governance of their country or daily lives.
Yeah one thing that gets my back up more than a far right winger is an apathetic non-voter, big brother watcher.