DPF does the right thing

Written By: - Date published: 5:05 pm, March 18th, 2019 - 101 comments
Categories: Abuse of power, blogs, David Farrar, Deep stuff, democracy under attack, dpf, Media, national, Politics - Tags:

Looks like there is a bit of a crisis going on over in right wing blog land.

DPF has finally decided to take the rather extraordinary steps of turning off comments and approving them manually.  This is something that we have done from time to time in the past for sensitive posts.

But Kiwiblog has been out of control for a while and some really rancid things have been posted in comments over there.

And at Whaleoil things are going really strange with a paywall article headed “[n]ow is not the time to be bullied into silence” and text saying “[a]ll this is happening while – and in no small part because of – the left’s Orwellian clampdown on free speech . . .”

This is the trouble when you court support among the far right.

National as a whole has a major problem.  Its use of dangerous rhetoric has been very disappointing. 

No doubt someone will say the left is just as bad.  Waiting for the first example of false equivalence …

 

101 comments on “DPF does the right thing ”

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  1. Dennis Frank 1
    18 March 2019 at 5:20 pm

    Interesting and good to see. Your equivalence point is worth making. My take is that the equivalence is very approximate: toxicity emanates from leftist commentators here way less than rightist commentators there.

    I see Russell Brown has now initiated a centrist discussion, which is always a good option. Although he did so via a framing that seemed too leftist for my liking – inasmuch as it was a focus on hate speech as causative. So I commented that the global context was more causative and explained why.

    • Sam 1.1
      18 March 2019 at 6:13 pm

      The Great Free Speech wars has come to an end. The thirst for white supremacy and of sanitising history has been quelled by the events of 15 March. With that the debate for free speech is over, if it ever was a debate. DFP was not bullied or coerced by government to enforce the will of the anti-free speech community, it was satisfied with one argument that the Government absolutely rejects division and what that might mean for every one who is greiving and how we may wake up from that.

    • woodart 1.2
      18 March 2019 at 6:26 pm

      I do wonder whether these changes have been bought on by an attack of conscience , or a losing of advertising revenue…….

      • I feel love 1.2.1
        18 March 2019 at 6:51 pm

        A bit of column A, a bit of column b… Sean Plunket had a bit of a Twitter back down too, back tracking and deleting, denying everything “I know nothing” Schultz style.

      • Muttonbird 1.2.2
        18 March 2019 at 8:12 pm

        Actually, RWNJs are announcing a cessation of commenting/posting both here and on their own blogs.

        We thankfully lost John Selway and Stunned Mullet recently from what I can only imagine is exactly what you say – an attack of conscience.

        • JohnSelway 1.2.2.1
          19 March 2019 at 9:39 am

          I didn’t say I would stop reading and I have to address your lie about me.

          RWNJ? I have never supported nor given any reason for you to call me a right-winger. Justify it or just admit you’re a fucking liar

      • OnceWasTim 1.2.3
        18 March 2019 at 9:43 pm

        waddle waddle waddle flap flap squawk squawk.
        I’m putting money on conscience going forward @ woodart after having analysed the prevailing winds

        • Sam 1.2.3.1
          18 March 2019 at 10:38 pm

          Shouldn’t give political friends any powers that you wouldn’t give to political enemies. So no vacations, Climate Change is still lurking.

  2. Jess NZ 2
    18 March 2019 at 5:28 pm

    Whaleoil articles and opinions are exactly what I would expect and fear.

    – Rejection of any blame to the right or white supremacy,
    – rejection of any gun control (or banning anything ever)
    – shifting blame to the left who are using this tragedy for political advantage (see gun control)
    – scorn of anything the current government is doing.
    – rejection of any association with Trump
    – video of white guy claiming he predicted the Chch attack except not an attack in Chch. I don’t know the guy but I don’t have to finish watching – it’s a ‘our speech has been oppressed therefore human nature means someone is going to get killed.’
    And the usual anti-Maori trash that transcends simple racism and anti-feminism that transcends simple sexism.

    Ugh ugh. But they are serious and sincere and they really need to be watched somehow.

    Is there anybody with power who is now looking more carefully at these sites? Could a petition be started or a coordinated email to an MP? Or am I just dreaming?

    Even if Slater went bankrupt, he has plenty of regular supporting voices on his platform.

  3. Dennis Frank 3
    18 March 2019 at 5:31 pm

    Oz Politics: “the Morrison government has refused entry to Milo Yiannopoulos, known, among other things, as a promoter of “ironic” Nazi trolling of the kind practised by the Christchurch murderer, whose actions he implicitly endorsed, describing the victims as practising a “barbaric and evil “religion. This isn’t a free speech issue: Yiannopoulos’ repulsive statements are still freely published here, and there has been no attempt to suppress them. If he were in Britain (his home country), the thorny question of “no-platforming” would arise.” https://johnquiggin.com/2019/03/17/closed-borders/

    So the right are taking action to marginalise the alt-right? Somewhat, it seems. A trend to encourage, for sure. Better late than never!

  4. outofbed 4
    18 March 2019 at 6:06 pm

    Well about time.
    He has provided a platform for extreme racism and misogyny for years.
    I have always been very surprised how radio New Zealand (the panel) has used him as a commentator given his history.
    I remember him being best pals with Slater at the time he was posting disgusting photo shopped images of H C and young Labour activists.
    On the surface it seems Farrar has cleaned his act up in recent years , however I find it very hypercritical that he has suddenly decided to clean up his act on his odious blog.
    He is not a very nice person.

  5. Rae 5
    18 March 2019 at 6:55 pm

    So I made a point of listening to Sean Plunket today. What can I say? So much of it was about him, how he’d been attacked on social media all weekend, how he refused to acknowledge there was political motive in the shootings “it was all the work of a deranged individual”, clearly found it hard when Jim Veitch pointed out a few times the political nature of the act, how he said “peace and love” all the time as if he thought he were Jesus Christ.
    It was pretty sad, all in all.

  6. RedLogix 6
    18 March 2019 at 7:49 pm

    Not sure where to put this, but some positive news to contrast with the theme of this thread:

    Having been confronted with the worst news a leader can receive — an unthinkable and politically motivated mass-fatality terrorist attack in a place of worship — Ms Ardern has yet to put a foot wrong.

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-18/jacinda-ardern-leadership-under-pressure/10912018

    • lprent 6.1
      19 March 2019 at 6:12 am

      Yeah. Her actions and words have been superb. Not only in a political sense. She has acted exactly as we as a country have needed.

    • D'Esterre 6.2
      19 March 2019 at 9:48 am

      RedLogix: “Having been confronted with the worst news a leader can receive — an unthinkable and politically motivated mass-fatality terrorist attack in a place of worship — Ms Ardern has yet to put a foot wrong.”

      Indeed. Yesterday afternoon, I heard Peter Fitzsimons praising her response. Difficult to disagree, really.

      Many Australians must wish for such a leader. But as things stand there, cold day in Hell and all that…

      • RedLogix 6.2.1
        19 March 2019 at 10:08 am

        Actually Scott Morrison has done exactly the right thing over Fraser Anning … as has almost their entire political spectrum. (Dutton managed to make a dork of himself, but nobody noticed the difference.)

        • Macro 6.2.1.1
          19 March 2019 at 7:59 pm

          (Dutton managed to make a dork of himself, but nobody noticed the difference.)

          LOL 😂

  7. Muttonbird 7
    18 March 2019 at 8:09 pm

    Apparently Duncan Garner named Whaleoil and Kiwiblog as right wing hate speech sites this morning. Didn’t hear it myself but it would explain David Farrar’s frantic cleaning.

    It’s the equivalent of having company around but there are skid marks on the dunny. Farrar wasn’t ‘doing the right thing’ – he was forced to do it and evidence of that is there was absolutely zero attempt to condemn and clean up islamophobic comments previously.

    Farrar has a real issue with his white supremacist groupies and he knows it. They know it too because they are all fearful of having their free speech hate speech examined.

    • Jess NZ 7.1
      19 March 2019 at 8:15 am

      Re: Duncan Garner – that is great to hear, especially from him. If you use him and WO as search terms you mostly get lots of his articles quoted on WO.

    • RRM 7.2
      21 March 2019 at 12:09 pm

      It’s the equivalent of having company around but there are skid marks on the dunny. Farrar wasn’t ‘doing the right thing’….

      Whereas your behaviour on KB is the equivalent of visiting someone’s house, eating the chips and drinking the beer, then shouting and calling everyone names like “RWNJ”…

      Then when you’re kicked out you come on here and call your former host a c*** behind his back while you wait for your ban to be up. At which time you know you’ll be straight back in there for more free platform.

      Because you’re a leftist so if there’s free stuff going you’ll be there boots and all, you’ll help yourself to the whole bowl if they let you.

      Now, I understand that as a leftist all this is completely normal behaviour, and you probably see your ban as evidence of some malign right wing conspiracy, probably involving “dirty politics”… am I close?

  8. Sacha 8
    18 March 2019 at 8:28 pm

    Nat party may have finally found a limit to the shit they will allow their man to smear. Poor Davey.

  9. Muttonbird 9
    18 March 2019 at 8:43 pm

    The other thing I noticed was how angry they are that the PM was wearing a headscarf on Sunday.

    This triggered the already islamophobic, the already misogynistic, and the already furious at Jacinda for being Jacinda.

    And that the world has noticed it? Sent them over the edge.

  10. Dukeofurl 10
    18 March 2019 at 8:48 pm

    Its not just Farrar thats got his hand on the delete button.
    Russell Brown has said

    ‘Newstalk ZB apparently deleted a number of opinion pieces. The National Party quietly removed the petition that cynically sought to raise ire and fear about New Zealand signing up to the UN Global Migration Compact.

    • Sacha 10.1
      18 March 2019 at 9:21 pm

      Please link to the source when you quote something: https://publicaddress.net/hardnews/these-things-we-must-now-change/

    • Muttonbird 10.2
      18 March 2019 at 9:33 pm

      It seems Farrar is finally putting in place some sort of moderation system, or at least changing some settings.

      That it would take this for him to recognise the cancer within his blog is telling. For Farrar, ZB, and the National Party it reads like a deep-clean-because-we-have-to.

      • woodart 10.2.1
        18 March 2019 at 9:54 pm

        yes, never leaders, only reluctantly being dragged into good behaviour. a real shame that it takes a tragedy for some to exhibit common decency….

        • Peter 10.2.1.1
          18 March 2019 at 10:34 pm

          Exhibiting common decency because they have to? The thing is, mongrels infesting Kiwiblog won’t be having random attacks or frequent outbursts of decency or getting decency implants, they’ll simply find other ways of polluting the world. No doubt they’ve bred and sending infected offspring into the world.

  11. WILD KATIPO 11
    19 March 2019 at 6:17 am

    What comes around, goes around…

    John Key: “Get some guts!” on sending troops to Iraq – YouTube

    • WeTheBleeple 11.1
      19 March 2019 at 6:29 am

      Excellent. I wanted to bring that up but it was too much Schadenfreude in the weekend.

      Fair in a lather wasn’t he, because mutual war = trade opportunities.

      We got these pricks number now. Don’t worry, New Zealand won’t forget where they’ve been led.

      I won’t let them. Nor will you or many others who’ve had a gutsful of the economics of hate.

      • vto 11.1.1
        19 March 2019 at 7:29 am

        Exactly. I said at the time that Key dragging us out from under the umbrella of the UN and into the arms of the war-monger USA would lead to terror attacks here…

        Key has blood on his hands

        • RedLogix 11.1.1.1
          19 March 2019 at 8:37 am

          That is a very, very fine observation vto.

          I might have phrased it a little less bluntly, but in essence yes. As the lonely pro-globalist here I’m sitting here nodding my head and thinking of the contrast between Helen Clark and John Key on this point. Both saw NZ’s future as indelibly linked to the global community, but each had quite different visions of how to achieve it.

          Key went with what he was comfortable with, rather than what was principled and visionary. While Clark went on to a stellar career at the UN. It speaks volumes.

    • WILD KATIPO 11.2
      19 March 2019 at 6:29 am

      Notice Jamie Lee Ross to Keys left and rear…

      ‘Dreams’… Fleetwood Mac…

      Thunder only happens when it’s raining
      Players only love you when they’re playing
      Women they will come and they will go
      When the rain washes you clean, you’ll know, you’ll know

  12. WILD KATIPO 12
    19 March 2019 at 6:18 am

    John Key booed off the stage at the Big Gay Out – LGBT against the …

  13. WILD KATIPO 13
    19 March 2019 at 6:20 am

    John Key Denies Contact With Slater – YouTube

  14. cleangreen 14
    19 March 2019 at 7:06 am

    “Donkey deep in rorting was Key and Joyce during those dark days of 2011 eh?

    https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/winston-calls-govt-explain-bail-out-mediaworks-owned-johnny-foreigner-ck-87880

    “Winston calls on govt to explain ‘bail-out’ of MediaWorks, owned by Johnny Foreigner”
    NBR Contributor
    Wed, 09 Mar 2011

    Winston Peters.
    New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has asked the government “to explain why it is using public funds to finance an overseas-owned radio and television network”.

    The company in question is MediaWorks, owned by Australia’s Ironbridge Capital. MediaWorks stable includes TV3, Four, C4, RadioLive, The Rock, Kiwi FM and other media properties

    Mr Peters’ statement cheerfully ignores the 11.2% interest the government is charging MediaWorks on the $43 million of deferred radio spectrum licensing fees it owes to the Crown under a 2009 deal offered to all broadcasters. It’s a punitive rate that certainly won’t make the deal feel like much of a bail-out from Ironbridge’s end.\

    Today, Mr Joyce said 11.2% was a commercial rate for a company in a distressed position. Given his background in commercial radio, the minister had put the arrangement to cabinet as a whole, which had collectively approved the decision.

    The New Zealand First leader was unconinced. “The government is running around telling New Zealanders how public expenditure has to be slashed while at the same time it is bailing out its mates in the media industry,” Mr Peters said.

    “There seems to be a different set of standards for private enterprise under this government. We are sure there are far more worthy causes to support in New Zealand at present.”

    Mr Peters said the situation looks suspiciously like the government is getting some radio and television networks in line for its election year propaganda.

    “The foreign-owned media chain will no doubt be grateful to the people of New Zealand for their generosity,” said Mr Peters.

  15. vto 15
    19 March 2019 at 7:27 am

    Very interesting development in the mind of Farrar..

    and good note on false equivalence, and also just above linking in John Key and his “join the right side” hate speech, which arguably also enabled last Friday’s massacre.

    The National Party, on so very many issues, is hateful and mean. Typically it is in relation to workers. This incident highlights its horrible underbelly which provides solace to the haters and supremacists.

    Farrar has recognised this, it seems. Perhaps other National Party people will also realise how much of what they stand for and promote is in fact nasty, mean and hateful. And that they should not turn the blind eye that they do to those policies and speeches which drive other people down so they can rise up.

    The National Party is a mean and nasty organisation that people should avoid

  16. Gabby 16
    19 March 2019 at 9:33 am

    Or, he’s been told by JasonEvil and/or his ilk to dial it back a bit for now.

  17. Heather Grimwood 17
    19 March 2019 at 10:13 am

    Annabel Crabb, chief reporter ABC has piece just reported on RadioNZ web . It says it all. A wonderful piece.

  18. Black with a Vengeance 18
    19 March 2019 at 1:56 pm

    Banned for calling out the racists and white supremacists DPF had been harboring for years…

    …ummm, what’s wronng with that picture?

    • SPC 18.1
      19 March 2019 at 3:25 pm

      You do realise you might be forcing DPF to delete every General Debate thread on the site, to cover the tracks – given he has plenty of scrubbing work to do on some of the topic threads.

      Posterity and all.

  19. sam green 19
    19 March 2019 at 3:26 pm

    Interestingly i was given a strike by Farrar last Thursday 14th.

    “sam green
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.

    These are your people Farrar – every day in every way you make it possible for them to misrepresent and malign. You must be so proud.

    [DPF: Smearing me also a Strike – Strike 2]

    Thumb up 2 Thumb down 56REPLY REPORTMARCH 14, 2019 12:19PM”

    He is now scuttling like the cockroach he is because he knows he is culpable in allowing racist and hateful ideologies to “foment”. He is now moderating like a madman but the race hate is still there, seething below the surface. Very few of the commentators have the insight to maybe just do a little soul searching instead of playing victims (poor old me I’m a white man). His fawning over Jacinda Ardern is transparent at the very least.

  20. Adrian 20
    19 March 2019 at 3:56 pm

    14 years staring him in the face for hosting shit. That’s why he is feverishly house cleaning before the rellies ( Police, SIS ) get there.
    I can’t even spell schadenfreude but it does give one a nice warm feeling.

    • lprent 20.1
      19 March 2019 at 5:10 pm

      He is going to find that moderating back to a reasonable persistent standard is a lot of hard work. From memory it took me about 3 years after the initial authors lost the ‘freedom of speech” vanity and started to think that we needed moderation to squelch the nutter comments.

      Essentially you have to shift the culture of the site, and it involves a lot of resistance. Doing moderation and release is probably the most irritating of strategies for the commenters.

      • SPC 20.1.1
        19 March 2019 at 5:16 pm

        I got moderated over at TDB, the time delay was really annoying, and so on-going participation in any debate was rare. But it’s because of the censorship of my posts countering MB, when he channels SP attacking woke people, the Greens, that I have stopped posting there.

  21. sam green 21
    19 March 2019 at 5:03 pm

    I’ve also just posted this:

    “sam green
    Your comment is awaiting moderation.

    It’s his published blog – he has a responsibility to ensure that it is not a platform for racism and hate. He should have a legal obligation and hopefully – although it’s not happened up until now – a moral (human) one.

    Click to EditDelete (4 minutes and 56 seconds)
    Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0REPLY REPORTMARCH 19, 2019 5:01PM”

    • SPC 21.1
      19 March 2019 at 5:10 pm

      Particularly so after he monetised the site with the advertising. As a commerical medium a responsibility to afford, by either time or paid staff, to moderate the site.

      It was a bit hard to get that through to him, as you would get a strike for anything he deemed a personal criticism of his site management (my only one there was posting on his monetising the site – there is also the monopoly on how meaning is interpreted with a site run run by one person).

  22. Magisterium 22
    19 March 2019 at 5:26 pm

    “As for Christchurch, here’s hoping another earthquake flattens the place. They need to be taught a lesson.”

    [lprent: From a commenter who was clearly disappointed about the election result in 2014 on the day after. It was followed by two comments of condemnation by other commenters starting with karol saying “Seriously? That’s an awful thing to write.”.

    Perhaps you have a point to make to go with a single comment out of the 1,492,571 published on the site? Rather than apparently just being a dumbarse incapable of offering an opinion or engaging in a robust debate. Putting in a link with no context is the action of an idiot incapable of debate or an ability to think. ]

  23. Muttonbird 23
    19 March 2019 at 7:12 pm

    David Farrar has announced major changes in policy. There will be two classes of commenter.

    One class is auto-approved and is for those who use their real name or a pseudonym linked to a page which identifies the commenter ie Facebook (bit ironic he’d insist on using for identity a company which live-streamed the Christchurch mass-murders but that’s another story).

    The other class is a moderated class and is for those who wish their comment to remain anonymous. These comments will be moderated by the sole moderator, David Farrar.

    These changes are enormous and a direct reaction to the heinous event last Friday. David Farrar has finally been forced to confront the truth that his blog is a hotbed of islamophobia. He realises media and the public are now looking hard at what his people say and has put in place much much stronger moderation and disincentive for the racism which has been one of the defining features of the blog thus far.

    Many positives will eventuate from the desperate and violent tragedy of Friday 15 March 2019. Ardern’s leadership, changing attitudes, gun law reform, and more effective intelligence services among them. But let’s not forget it was also the event which made one right wing blog site reflect on its own history, and making change for the future.

    • BM 23.1
      19 March 2019 at 7:22 pm

      Are you going to use your real name Muttonbird?

      • Sam 23.1.1
        19 March 2019 at 7:29 pm

        I’v got dibz on Sam.

        • BM 23.1.1.1
          19 March 2019 at 7:34 pm

          I’m expecting a lot of Bob Smith’s to start posting.
          No idea how he’s going to verify peoples names? do you have to show your driver’s license or passport before you can post on kiwiblog?

        • sam green 23.1.1.2
          19 March 2019 at 7:39 pm

          Hmmm – arm wrestle?

          • Sam 23.1.1.2.1
            19 March 2019 at 8:26 pm

            Debate me

            • sam green 23.1.1.2.1.1
              19 March 2019 at 9:12 pm

              Bugger. I’m a bit shit at debate. Darts?

              • Sam …
                19 March 2019 at 9:21 pm

                Just making it harder on yourself.

                Put my Facebook into my kiwi blog log in so if you want it. You’re kind of going to have to convince me that the world will end if I don’t give it. Or perhaps convince 75% in a referendum to include an upper house with half Māori and half non-Māori representation. Which ever one comes first.

            • Grant 23.1.1.2.1.2
              19 March 2019 at 9:24 pm

              If you keep challenging people to debates you’ll Get a reputation for being a mass debater

              • Sam …
                19 March 2019 at 9:38 pm

                Least you didn’t say a wanker.

                Richard Dawkins coined the word memetics or “meme” for short in his book The Selfish Gene. Was arguing that genetics could be made easy to understand with picture representations and how there’s no right or wrong answer to all these complex picture representations. Who would have guessed that his theory would spin out into a full blown cultural revolution, wish I had the brains for that.

              • lprent …
                19 March 2019 at 10:37 pm

                It is unlikely – for the obvious reason.

        • Muttonbird 23.1.1.3
          19 March 2019 at 8:37 pm

          Apparently you’ll have to use a Facebook login or similar to verify your identity if you want to use ‘Sam’.

          • Sam 23.1.1.3.1
            19 March 2019 at 8:39 pm

            Nothing I ain’t done before

            • Muttonbird 23.1.1.3.1.1
              19 March 2019 at 8:47 pm

              Why don’t you use your real name here then?

                • Muttonbird …
                  19 March 2019 at 8:57 pm

                  Oh yes. What is your last name, Sam?

                  [I know that question is essentially rhetorical, Muttonbird, however, it crosses a line. And it’s like reverse Gosmanism, and we can’t have that.

                  Sam, chill out, please. Less bot like contributions for a start.

                  Cheers, y’all. TRP]

                  • Sam …
                    19 March 2019 at 9:07 pm

                    You’ll have to do better than that lame ass excuse for being curious and inquisitive. You got to make the question so extra, so compelling, so wonderful that I’ll hand over bits of my identity to you on an anonymous message board.

                    • Muttonbird …
                      19 March 2019 at 9:16 pm

                      Well, you’re not really using your real name, are you. You are still anonymous.

                      Do us a favour and keep it that way.

                    • Sam …
                      19 March 2019 at 9:30 pm

                      Some guys, gender not assumed, have a wager going and Iv got a debate going for my login and real name so you’ll have to get in line. Apologies for not being able to make good on that favour you asked for. Perhaps one of the lower tier commenters could do you a solid.

                  • Muttonbird …
                    19 March 2019 at 9:27 pm

                    Ridiculous, TRP. Have a good night.

      • Muttonbird 23.1.2
        19 March 2019 at 8:44 pm

        I got booted for this post referring to the since disbanded Milton gun club which trained the Christchurch mass-murderer.

        Here’s another quote from the article:

        The place just stunk of inadequacy compensated through use and ownership of semi automatic firearms. It was pretty f…ing disturbing.

        A bit like Kiwiblog.

        https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/111336647/we-dont-breed-mass-killers-accused-christchurch-shooters-gun-club

        • BM 23.1.2.1
          19 March 2019 at 8:47 pm

          You’ve been banned, permanently?

          • Muttonbird 23.1.2.1.1
            19 March 2019 at 8:53 pm

            I’m unable to log in.

            But really, I think this event has changed the way that blog operates and a lot of commenters will be reflecting on their views. There’ll still be intolerance, Maori-bashing and bene-bashing galore but the worst of the islamohobia will be moderated out.

            I’m not required anymore.

        • Black with a Vengeance 23.1.2.2
          20 March 2019 at 11:18 am

          I was born and raised in Milton.

          It was always a great place to hide your white supremacist, violent racist views in plain sight.

          I swear every other cocky’s black dog, including my Uncle’s, was called nig and often suffered the inglorious insult of…

          ‘You fucking useless black bitch’ before getting the shit beaten out of it if it didn’t respond to the whistle.

          Looking back now I think my uncle may have been a bit of a cracker.

          Ain’t no place like home!

    • Cinny 23.2
      19 March 2019 at 8:52 pm

      This bit MB… “moderated by the sole moderator, David Farrar”

      Question please…Is he the only moderator for that blog?

      It’s just that I always thought it was a free for all judging from some of the vile comments I’ve read there before.

      • Muttonbird 23.2.1
        19 March 2019 at 8:56 pm

        He’s the only moderator. Being an authoritarian he has trouble relinquishing mod power I suspect.

        The way it worked was if a comment was reported 6 times for any reason it would be sent to moderation – otherwise not much would be looked at.

        This of course meant that none of the racist stuff was sent to moderation because no one reported it because they were all pretty much in agreement.

        • Cinny 23.2.1.1
          19 March 2019 at 9:00 pm

          Don’t want to type the words coming out of my mouth right now, as mum would say, such words aren’t very lady like……..FFS etc etc

          Thanks for explaining MB, much appreciated.

      • Gabby 23.2.2
        19 March 2019 at 9:00 pm

        You’ve just got to avoid calling any of his socks a fuckknuckle. He doesn’t like that.

        • Cinny 23.2.2.1
          19 March 2019 at 9:02 pm

          Love that word 🙂 Cracking up laughing.

          • greywarshark 23.2.2.1.1
            20 March 2019 at 1:47 pm

            You would think that Dr Seuss would love that one. By the way I just read the other day that he didn’t have any children. He wasn’t the man I expected.

        • Robert Guyton 23.2.2.2
          19 March 2019 at 9:32 pm

          I got banned, for life, for referring to his knees; actually, expressing concern for their health!
          True story.

          • sam green 23.2.2.2.1
            19 March 2019 at 9:59 pm

            The mind boggles. Doesn’t he use a pillow?

            • Robert Guyton 23.2.2.2.1.1
              19 March 2019 at 10:07 pm

              I care nothing for his personal life; I just felt for his knees! He was such a big fellow back in the day. Knees do a lot of work and receive little praise for their efforts. Farrar’s folk care little for the whales, so I thought, “Save the knees”! Why ever not?

              • greywarshark …
                19 March 2019 at 10:18 pm

                When you get a moment Robert could you have a look at How to Get There and my bit about firebreaks in manuka. I thought I would hear but everyone has been so shocked this weekend. Something is being planned over in Tasman and I though I would like to know what ideas you and WtB had.

                Sorry there has been a double up. I put up one and then it vanished and then I got worried and put it up again. and got both.

                • Robert Guyton …
                  19 March 2019 at 10:32 pm

                  Hi Grey. Manuka’s a challenge. The blight that blights it was imported by farmers from Aussie to knock it back as it threatened (?) to reclaim hard-won pastures. The blackened branches, twigs and leaves we see now weren’t apparent pre-farmer. Manuka’s a beautiful tree, of course, but in fire-prone areas, a worry – it bursts into flames with great enthusiasm. Manuka honey doesn’t attract my support, for some reason, so I’ve nothing useful to say about that. Our native bees are busied-out by the honey bee. Manuka’s easy to grow and its seeds a cinch to collect; gather the pods before they open, keep them in a paper bag in a warm place till they open and release, then sow on the surface of seed raising mix. The trick is to include for associated fungi in your potting mix.

    • Black with a Vengeance 23.3
      20 March 2019 at 11:30 am

      I would trust David Garrett’s ID…lol

      …and fwiw, I don’t do social media nor would risk the consequences of using my real name.

      Lots of those fuckers have guns and don’t mind telling you how they’d like to use them.

    • Sacha 23.4
      20 March 2019 at 12:47 pm

      “He realises media and the public are now looking hard at what his people say”

      And his customers may care too. Wallet always a fast way to a right-leaning heart.

  24. Frank Macskasy 24
    20 March 2019 at 1:04 pm

    Suddenly my respect for David Farrar has gone up 100-fold…

    • Rosemary McDonald 24.1
      20 March 2019 at 1:18 pm

      “…my respect for David Farrar has gone up 100-fold…”

      Hah! From anti-hero to zero?

      Farrar has enjoyed, nay, has wallowed in the popularity of his wee cess pit of unfettered ferals and their hate speech.

      Mayhap he’ll be donating all of his advertising revenue for the past umpteen years to the victims?

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