Daily show interview: Blog Wars

15 comments on “Daily show interview: Blog Wars ”

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1. jafapete 1

   11 May 2008 at 10:00 am

   “I like Stewart’s comments that in blogging, and writing in general, the writing itself and the arguments made are the most important thing.”

   I agree. But how is it that NZ’s busiest political blog is so unremarkable for the quality of most of its posts (now 10,000 plus), and is so remarkable for the vileness of many of its permanent residents?

   Obviously there’s prime-mover advantage, and the weirdness is entertaining at times, but I think that the right have an advantage in that they are inherently less dour and serious than the left. Surveys bear this out. After all, they’re happier with inequality and more happy-go-lucky with the future, as current debates illustrate only too well. But, there, I’ve started off again…
2. Higherstandard 2

   11 May 2008 at 10:25 am

   What is the busiest political blog in NZ JP ?
3. jafapete 3

   11 May 2008 at 10:30 am

   HS, My point is that it is not the one with the highest quality posts, or debate. I offer what I think are some good reasons why this is the case, and would prefer to debate those than trade cheap points. This is a left-wing blog, after all.
4. Higherstandard 4

   11 May 2008 at 10:41 am

   JP

   Not sure what you’re trying to say I was just wondering what the busiest blog is as I have no idea.
5. Benodic 5

   11 May 2008 at 11:12 am

   It’s Kiwiblog HS. This has puzzled me too but I think DPF’s blessing was to be lucky enough to get in first. Whether he can maintain that lead is another story.

   I think part of his appeal is also that he’s a free (if highly selective) clippings service which probably keeps the punters coming back. Two thirds of his posts these days are lazy cut and paste jobs with titles like “Ralston on Economy” or “Fran lashes Labour”. The only decent work he does is prepared for him by the National research unit.
6. higherstandard 6

   11 May 2008 at 12:56 pm

   Thanks Ben

   Suspect you’re right about being first – it always helps also the name (“kiwiblog”) would probably get quite of few surfers by accident I would think
7. lprent 7

   11 May 2008 at 1:16 pm

   One important factor to note about this blog site is that I scan all and often read a lot of the comments. So do the moderators when they have time. Partially that is to get rid of the inevitable spam. Part is to prevent the comments area becoming a cesspool of flamewars.

   I watched usenet degenerate from a place that I used all of the time for ideas and concepts to what it is today. You get to recognize the styles that cause problems.

   You have no idea how boring some of the exchanges get when you have to read them all of the time, especially where people repeat the same thing over and over again. Eventually people irritate me by mechanical repetitive behaviour to the point that I start getting very picky and start stomping.

   But I really enjoy active heated discussion that is done with imagination and backing up assertions with some supporting links. I’m far more interested in getting 30 or 40 good comments than 212 (from a post I just looked at from last year). If I wanted to see automata operating, I’d just write a program.

   Then I may learn something. That active monitoring changes the style of the sites comments.
8. jafapete 8

   11 May 2008 at 2:08 pm

   Thanks Ben for clarifying.

   Lyn, I thought that the “Workers be careful” thread the other day was a really good example of a constructive and useful exchange, despite the concerted self-martyrdom of one commenter. I agree that blogging of that, er, standard is far more rewarding than the flaming exchanges elsewhere.

   That and the fact that (barring the unforeseen) the triumphalism on NZ’s busiest political blog is likely to get increasingly galling as the year wears on, means you might see a natural migration toward more serious blogs like your own over the next wee while imho.
9. Robinsod 9

   11 May 2008 at 3:24 pm

   I’ll be very interested to see what happens to the bog if the tories win – I really can’t see Davey attacking his employers…
10. r0b 10

    11 May 2008 at 4:24 pm

    I guess he’ll just become a clipping service for all the msm good news stories about how people’s lives are improving under National. Oh – but wait…
11. randal 11

    12 May 2008 at 12:29 am

    r0b shonkey aint gonna win…and dpf is going to have come up with something new…its not good reading now and when natoinal loses it will just fade away. it fails to deal with policy and relies on juvenile not to say puerile observations to attract readers of a certain type that will eventually just flake off.
12. Stephen 12

    12 May 2008 at 8:46 am

    I would imagine the roles of the Standard and Kiwiblog would simply be reversed?
13. Steve Pierson 13

    12 May 2008 at 9:31 am

    “I would imagine the roles of the Standard and Kiwiblog would simply be reversed?”

    Kiwiblog would become a witty and intelligent critique of everything, while the Standard would become a clipping service/homage to David Farrar’s ego?

    captcha: “worst extent” I couldn’t agree more, dear captcha
14. Robinsod 14

    12 May 2008 at 9:33 am

    I would imagine the roles of the Standard and Kiwiblog would simply be reversed?

    The only problem with that is the Standard is an blog which stands on its leftwing intellectual rigor. The bog is a clipping service that shills for National and feeds off a bunch of disaffected weirdos. Even if National do get in they’ll still be whining and disaffected (once the brief gloat wears off) but Davey won’t be able to fuel their anger without running across National’s lines. It wold almost be worth a tory win to see him squirm…
15. Stephen 15

    12 May 2008 at 9:43 am

    Good points. I ‘spose I meant in the broad sense of being for/against the government, but in light of the above comments I think that was being a tad simplistic.

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