400,000 comments (almost)

Written By: - Date published: 12:18 pm, April 19th, 2012 - 53 comments
Categories: admin, blogs, The Standard - Tags:

The counter on the WordPress stats clicked over to more than 400,000 comments yesterday. I’d noted late last week that we were about to hit it and that I should really stop working for long enough to celebrate the event with some stats and explanations.

As at 10:30 today the dashboard showed this…

Which means that since I looked at it this morning when I got to work nearly a hundred more comments have been added. But like all numbers, the devil is in the detail and we know that there are a number of people around who distain accuracy prefer to lie with numbers. For instance, Bill English and his ‘neutral’ tax changes that cost a billion or so in deficit, treasury with their banking on levels asset sales in the budget that were a billions off,  and of course Cameron Slater who will selectively lie about with any number that comes to hand. But I digress…

Included in this number are pingbacks and trackbacks, which are links in from other sites using particular systems. Most are just spam and constitute about half of the nearly 150k comments caught in spam engines. But the ones that are mostly from humans  in the database tables, so we need to exclude them. So the SQL for wordpress is

select yearweek(comment_date_gmt) as yw, count(*) as count
from wp_comments
where comment_approved=1 and comment_type=''
group by yw
order by yw

The comment_type is blank for normal comments, and we’re only after the approved comments. I ran that at 08:30 when there were 400,222 approved comments. Dropping the results into a LibreOffice spreadsheet we get a culmulative total  391577 which means that there were 8645 pingbacks and trackbacks.

Ok, explanations over. Lets look at when we’re likely to hit 400k comments. Here is the culmulative chart with pointers to when we crossed each 100k comments. The charts are up to the end of last week; week 244 ATS (Anno The Standard). 😈

Ouch. I knew there was an increase from the rapid bulking of my mouse scroll muscles from moderating exercise. I’m expecting to hit 400k comments by my de-puffed projection in either week 247 or week 248 ATS.

But we fufilled our prediction of hitting 300k comments well before the election and forgot to say that (and forgot to mark when we hit 9000 posts just before the election last year). Still valid is our comment from the 200k post.

We like to make a big deal over the comments because it is you coming on here, contributing your thoughts and ideas, that make The Standard what it is. Without all of you, it would just be a dozen or so people arguing with themselves, and if we wanted that we could hang out with the Libertarianz.

We  were a wee bit busy during the pre-election, as you can see from the graphs showing our comments by weeks and week in year.

Quite amusing how clearly you can see that week between xmas and new year. Unlike the election in 2008, last years election didn’t really drop us back post new-year from the pre-election Sept/October.

When you look at the detail, it is quite interesting looking at the differences between years. Apart form the predictable end of year slump, the election fevers, and the mid-winter slumping – the wee spikes are political events when everyone crowds on to the site and starts talking. The big dip in early 2010 was when the load went up too high for the server despite my numerous optimizing hacks and the site crashed

But these are the un-puffed stats about the ever increasing comment traffic to this site. They are one of my continuing nightmares that I check every quarter. I’m currently contemplating how we handle a 100k comments in a a quarter in either 2013 or 2014.

People come because they can get a good argument where you can mostly say what you think in a robust way. Our post-xmas action this year was quite instructive as our exhausted authors disappeared into the wilderness. The posts dropped to the daily OpenMike and the odd post as an author or editor resurfaced. Didn’t really slow the comments that much. The commentators just made their own fun… 😈

Sure we ban people who fail to live up to The Standard  while arguing. Or who waste the moderators time. Or who qualify for a Darwin award by attacking the site or it’s authors. All that ever does is increase our traffic because we remove the worst of the boring munters who just want to perform their meaningless rituals of talkback radio stupidity.

Of course in the net there is a place for everyone to go – even those unwilling to comment here or who are rejected from here. Locally, if you want genteel, then go to Public Address. If you want reasoned intellectual (and often boring) political debate then join Lew and co at Kiwipolitico. If you want the feminist viewpoint on politics then head to the Hand Mirror. If you want to enjoy talkback radio in text then go to ever reducing comments section at the Kiwiblog sewer, and if you want to exchange stories about dick sizes – then Whaleoil is your home… And there are heaps more.

53 comments on “400,000 comments (almost) ”

  1. Hateatea 1

    I am grateful that this site exists and if it helps, I will be more moderate in the number of my posts. On the other hand, there are so many interesting commentators here that it might be hard to restrain myself 😉
     
    Congratulations on the approaching significant statistic 🙂

  2. r0b 2

    Not bad for a bunch of lazy Socialists eh.

  3. Craig Glen Eden 3

    Arguing?I dont think thats true. lol

  4. fender 4

    Yes The Standard rocks and the numbers prove that fact.

    I’m so pleased I clicked on The Standard the day I googled “nz political blog”.

    I’m looking forward to reading the next 600,000 comments and beyond.

    Well done LPrent & co. Keep up the great work.

    • just saying 4.1

      Think I first found the Standard by clicking on a few options on the blog roll at ‘No Right turn.’

      I like to think I’m part of a reasonably sized minority of readers who understand bugger-all of the mechanics in posts like this. But it’s good news about the 400,000. Is it possible to discover how many different commenters?

      Congrats etc.

      • lprent 4.1.1

        2107 distinct commentators with at least 5 messages in a system (gets rid of many sockpuppets) that uses a fuzzy algorithm to identify the same person.

        Of course some of those will be people who have managed to change (or mistype) both the e-mail and the handle, and when people have changed identity or had several identities.

        I usually look at people with 20 or more messages over the last 4 years, in which case we have 1061. That includes people like Jennie Michie who has authored as almost as many posts as she has had comments 😈 There are 458 people with a hundred comments or more and 89 with a 1000 comments or more, and 3 with 10,000 comments or more.

        Colonial Viper (14,765)
        Draco T Bastard (10,237)
        Felix (10,180)
        lprent (9,222)
        Pascal’s bookie (6,731)
        Lanthanide (6,057)
        r0b (5,573)
        mickysavage (5,367)
        burt (5,174)
        RedLogix (4,485)

        Of course the number of readers is quite a lot larger. If you look at it number of distinct IP’s on a day by day basis after (removing the spambots and search engines) to minimize the number of people having dynamic changes to their IP. Then there are at least 10 times as many daily readers compared to daily commentators on the worst days. It is often as high as 50x. But it varies quite a lot.

        • Lanthanide 4.1.1.1

          I spend way too much time here.

          • lprent 4.1.1.1.1

            So do I… Biggest hassle is that when the code structure is getting tricky. I spend a *lot* of time here waiting for my head to clear after the previous failed approach.

            • Jenny 4.1.1.1.1.1

              Impressive stats.

              I imagine that managing this site must involve a phenomenal amount of behind the scenes work by yourself Lynn.

              I would like to help, but being a complete technophobe, I am sure I would do more harm than good.

              But maybe I could help in some other way.

              I know that you do this for the joy of it. But have you ever thought of going professional?

              I know you get some income from ads to help you in your work, but with numbers like this, I imagine that this income would hardly cover your time, let alone your other costs. I, (and possibly many others), would be prepared to pay a voluntary subscription to free you up a bit more and to cover your costs.

              P.S. The Standard is a worthwhile project. Something that you and the others responsible can be proud of. Long may it prosper and grow.

              • lprent

                Given a choice I would like to pay a author. But you really don’t make money from blogging in NZ.

                But my main job is hard core C++ programming things that are hard to do. That is even more fun than the site and I am continually amazed that I get paid to do it.

                • Jenny

                  Would it be worth asking for contributions to pay an editor some sort of stipend?

                  Would this lessen your load?

          • Draco T Bastard 4.1.1.1.2

            Yep, been here since close to the beginning as well. Can’t remember how I found The Standard. Could be an independent Google search or link from another blog. I do remember that I was getting frustrated with the lack of goof informative sites in NZ about NZ – finding sites focused on US politics was easy, not so much for NZ.

          • Akldnut 4.1.1.1.3

            Be interesting to know who it was, is there any easy way of finding out who?

        • Anne 4.1.1.2

          And everyone of those commenters is worth reading – even ole burt who is a cut above most of the other rwnjs anyway. 😉

          Oh, and add to that list a number of other commenters who always have something thought provoking to say. Thanks to you too.

        • Colonial Viper 4.1.1.3

          If you can’t get quality, then quantity has its own satisfaction 😈

  5. muzza 5

    This is a good site of it’s type, the discussion topics are interesting, informative, and generally speaking, very well written.

    I enjoy the level of information/knowledge which many of the posters here have, and there is some good debate. I hope the energy people seem to feed into the virtual space, is being put into the reality space also, otherwise it becomes little more than was release valve, which people use instead of improving their value to society, in a functional way.

    The site performs its role by initiating discussion, and informing, which is turn illicits further information from the commentators. If some of the knowledge and energy from the debates here, is utilised in a productive fashion in the real world, then The Standard will be serving an even wider function that its creators might have imagined.

    Keep up the good work, The Standard!

  6. captain hook 6

    no comment

  7. ianmac 7

    LPrent must put a great deal of self into setting up and running this important forum. A must every day and several times a day. Congratulations. The numbers are the equivalent of 10% of the total population. And growing. Well done Lynn.

  8. prism 8

    If some of our more acerbic and knowledgable commentators could restrain themselves from having rallies with some of the puffballs who visit and can argue till the cows come home and still not gain any insight, comments could be lessened by 10%? poss.

    This is such a great site, good posts – and open mike gives a window on so many directions of thought – always interesting. And there is a nice human side with people who enjoy relating to others with tolerance and interest in others’ opinions and justifications for those strongly, or thought to be wrongly held, well most of the time.

  9. tc 9

    Fantastic work lynn and prism is right, not feeding the trolls would help reduce the comments or simply agree with them in the hope it reduces the wibble.

    [lprent: Please do not agree with the trolls. It doesn’t stop the flow of ‘widdle’. It merely moves them from incoherence to incontinence. You suddenly find your self in a wasteland lake of widdle.

    Personally I find the best approach is to go for the nasty slice at the knees attack with a question cutting into the weak point of their argument. You usually have to put some sharp language into it. But if you get it right then they piddle from a lower elevation and the puddle is smaller…. 😈 ]

  10. Ed 10

    I come to The Standard for information, discussion and analysis. The arguments with trolls are unhelpful.

    Congratulations on the work that you do lprent, as well as those that do the posts. We will now that the media bias has turned when announcers like Jim Mora refer to The Standard as often as he does the Farrargo blog.

    • lprent 10.1

      He does? I’m deep in programming in the afternoons. I listen to morning report and a bit of nine to noon before I drop into music.

  11. Clashman 11

    Im pretty new here, but hope to be around for a while. I’d be a bit lost without this place now to be honest, alot of the issues raised here are absent from the msm. Keep up the good work, roll on 1 million posts!

  12. I love the community of The Standard – the posters, moderators and commenters. Thank you to all especially the team that runs the show and lprent of course.

  13. mac1 13

    I’ve said it before at a previous milestone- thanks to the Standard from the Tory backblocks of the South Island for the left wing perspective and the discussion. Like Ianmac above, I visit more than once daily for my fix. Cheers all.

  14. DJL 14

    Party on Standard. Found you all when searching for Bommer after catching him on Strados. Good on you and long may you run.

  15. belladonna 15

    One of the few sites you can visit for validation of your core beliefs. Visit everyday, probably 3 times a day.

  16. vto 16

    Well done Mr Standard. Fantastic place to get new perspectives. Also a great place to test ideas – though sometimes difficult to get cut through and keep specifically on topic without getting blind-sided. The nature of the human bean I guess …

    Onwards.

  17. Jenny 17

    Congrats

  18. QoT 18

    Woooooooooooooooooooooo! You realise this post is just going to incite people like myself to comment more purely to reach that target sooner … (what can I say, I’m a sucker for achieving deadlines.)

    • lprent 18.1

      Oh no. Kiwiteen123 on oestrogen

      • Jenny 18.1.1

        Any thoughts on how to mark the milestone when it is reached?

        • fender 18.1.1.1

          The milestone reaching comment maker gets to have fun and ban a troll of their choice for a period of time.

          I would nominate the EPMU stalking anti-unionist james 111.

          • McFlock 18.1.1.1.1

            Interesting – avariation on the ostracism of Athenian Democracy 🙂

            • fender 18.1.1.1.1.1

              They were more brutal than I was suggesting, but ok if you insist, its james after all!

          • Jenny 18.1.1.1.2

            Vox populi, vox Dei

            The milestone reaching comment maker gets to have fun and ban a troll of their choice for a period of time.

            fender 19 April 2012 at 11:02 pm

            Sounds like fun fender, and quite a good idea. It gave me some thought. It occurs to me that we need something a little more positive (as well as fun) to mark this mile stone.

            How about this;

            To mark the the passing of the 400,000 comments milestone, a post announcing an on site poll to find the most popular regular commenter.

            The prize for the winner: One year posting rights.

            Conditional on there being the instant right of suspension and a recall election if the winner is not up to scratch, or some how offends the tikanga of the site.

            Plus any other conditions that may also be thought to be necessary by the moderators.

            (If this experiment is a success it could become an annual event.)

            The election to last either a period of two weeks or until the post falls off the bottom of the page. The winner being the one judged to have received the greatest number of positive comments in support.

            The candidates can also comment/argue on why they should be the one chosen.

            Sound like fun?

            • fender 18.1.1.1.2.1

              Yeah that sounds more interesting than my punitive troll ban for the hell of it,,rather mean suggestion that may have been inspired by some insane james3 trash or something..

              There are some very good regular commenters who command respect with their wisdom, I’m always keen to read their comments and they are a great asset to the site. It would be good to celebrate their contributions somehow, you mention posting rights as prize but anyone is free to submit a post now by following the ‘contribute’ tab up top.

      • QoT 18.1.2

        I’m a little hurt, lprent. I think my capacity to post serial meaningless comments is far superior to that n00b’s, if only in the quality of my comments and higher ratio of obscure sci fi references.

        • McFlock 18.1.2.1

          A contest?
          Between the darkness and the light…

        • lprent 18.1.2.2

          I can’t help it. My juvenile sense of associative irony gets me every time. In this case it was that kt made almost exactly the same comment before running amok with comment writing and eventually found out why awaking the moderator in Irish (oxymoron statement) is a really bad idea.

          But I prefer that your comment standard stays high (for my amusement)

  19. millsy 19

    Coming up to 5 years of this blog this year…

    I think both KiwiBlog and No Right Turn celebrate their 10th anniversaries next year as well.

  20. Karl Sinclair 20

    To the author LPRENT:

    You said:

    ‘I’m starting to get a bit worried about how we’re going to handle the rapidly increasing rate that people are arguing with each other here…’

    Why not pull together all the main arguments around key issues, summarise the best (not just slagging matches), then present objective facts that will show the arguement to be either true, false or somewhere in between. The arguments can be refined overtime if your lucky, or they may go on. At least it can be presented with the ‘Best interpration’ (you would have this as the main page to the debate). You need people to have the time, skills etc to accurately assess some of the statements made otherwise you’ll end up with the endless mosh pit…… a bit like Edvard Munches The Scream. Its good for getting frustrations out but whats next with all this. It’s great to have this site trepresenting alternative views but how do you distill out the the key facts and create from that a focused and action orientated movement? That is your problem. You need to start creating action from all of this……….. focused…

    Otherwise its a bit like the scene in The Tempest whereby Sycorax (aka present Government) sends imaginary crows down on Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo. The Crow shouts out… ‘We have mad you mad’, the scene pulls away and they are fighting thin air…………

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDyGl2uIQ-Q

    Unfortunately at present we have a Representative Shamocracy where people have little time or inclination to understand the facts let alone have decent time with their families, partners, children etc…

    Caveat emptor

    Ahhhh, another worthless rant….. 🙂

  21. Jenny 21

    On the occasion of the 400,000th comment is it time for a reavaluation?

    What is the purpose of a blog?

    Is a blogsite just a forum for debate?

    Is a blogsite an organiser;

    Could it should it campaign and champion particular causes?

    How should those causes be chosen?

    Is a blogsite a public service;

    Can it help and inform public opinion?

    A public service idea that can be copied from the UK

    http://voteforpolicies.org.uk/

  22. QoT 22

    To be utterly tautological, I think the blog should stay a blog.

    There are other sites like CommoNZ and even Family Fist’s Value Your Vote which aim, or at least profess in the case of the latter, to give a neutral assessment of party policies and MP behaviour.

    Though I admit to having my reservations about the commentariat at large and its sometimes-slightly-paleolithic attitudes to women, use of ableist language, and tendency to go for the easy “Gerry Brownlee is fat” joke instead of proper argument, I think it’s great to have a place where a myriad diverse voices, all vaguely connected by a committed to leftwing thought, can publish on any number of topics.

    And certainly the Right has no equivalent, unless one wants to count the dual-personality WhaleOil pseudonym.

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    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    1 day ago
  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    1 day ago
  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    1 day ago
  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    1 day ago
  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    1 day ago
  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    1 day ago
  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago
  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    2 days ago
  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    2 days ago
  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    2 days ago
  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    3 days ago
  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    3 days ago
  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    4 days ago
  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    4 days ago
  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    5 days ago
  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
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