New Facebook groups

Written By: - Date published: 6:36 pm, August 31st, 2008 - 42 comments
Categories: activism - Tags:

After I was part of the ‘Great NZ Sell-off’ skit protest outside the National Party conference at the start of the month, I did a wee interview with a journo from NewstalkZB and he, knowing I’ve got something to do with this interweb thing, asked ‘what do you think of the fact that John Key’s Facebook page has twice as many supporters as Helen Clark’s?’ I responded that, apart from the fact the Key’s page is official and Clark’s isn’t, it seemed to indicate to me that most people had better things to do.

But I’ve had a slight change of heart after talking to the guy behind two new Facebook groups: I bet I can find 500 people who don’t trust John Key and I bet I can find 1000 people who don’t trust the National Party. It only took a few days to reach that 500 mark for the first group (now, they’re aiming for 2000 members) and the second group is approaching its target too. All organic growth, starting with a guy messaging his friends. Compare that to just over 5000 members of Key’s Facebook group, which is used for official releases, communication with members, and is heavily advertised by National. It strikes me that by joining these groups, people are signalling that they could interested in doing something substantial, something more than just joining Facebook groups, to help defeat National. These groups are self-selected groups of activists or potential activists. The pace at which these groups have grown tells me there’s a lot of mistrust of Key and National out there waiting to be utilised (more on that later).

So, if you haven’t already, why not go sign up for those groups and register your mistrust of National too?

[Update: a reader just sent this in. Sage advice. Nice work!]

42 comments on “New Facebook groups ”

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  1. Monty 1
    31 August 2008 at 6:47 pm

    I am not sure you guys should be talking too much about trust at the present time. In a contest of trust between Clark and Key – John Key would win. Afterall was it not Clark who has aided and abetted Winnie the poodle for the last 6 six months knowing that Owen Glenn did donate $100,000 – and stood back smitking while Winnie went on the attack of anyone who dared to question this.

    When it comes to trust Clark has blown it. We no longer have any grounds to trust her. I suppose us righties have much more important things to do rather thansett up pathetic facebook pages about trust.

  2. higherstandard 2
    31 August 2008 at 6:48 pm

    SP

    1. Apparently there are portions of the public who will believe almost anything.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/sundaystartimes/4673935a6619.html

    2. That this post comes hard on the heels of your last is slightly ironic

  4. Monty 4
    31 August 2008 at 6:58 pm

    I am not sutre it is a smart idea to talk about trust at present – Helen has shown us in the last week that we have no reason to trust her. Or or you going to moderate / delete me for questioning Helen’s integrity?

  5. randal 5
    31 August 2008 at 7:00 pm

    as robert f kennedy said,” there is always 20% of the people who are against everything as a matter of principle”. these are the misanthropes and the haters and the wreckers and usually right wingers.

  6. lprent 6
    31 August 2008 at 7:15 pm

    Monty, I generally don’t moderate people for being ill-informed. You just have to hope that they will learn. Besides you were on-topic about trust.

    Why exactly did Helen ‘need’ to tell anyone about topics that were already in the news prior to Feb. When the MSM asked the question, she answered. As I’ve noted before this has bugger all to do with anything interesting to the left – it is a sideshow (just like Winston and NZF).

    I do like the implied compliment of Helen though – that it would have had more weight if she’d commented earlier. It all comes down to to who you trust and who you don’t. Looks like you’re helping SP’s point.

    John Key on the other hand is apparently trying to gain power without having any fixed policy. Voting for him and the Nat’s is an act of faith because neither has a track record that inspires trust. That is what Steve’s post is about.

  7. Monty 7
    31 August 2008 at 7:27 pm

    Lynn

    Please don’t talk about policy when Labour’s website is bereft of 2008 policy. What is Labour’s secret agenda – or have they just run out of ideas, or have they been too busy fighting fires on too many fronts to actually come up with policy.

    Anyway a good reason to trust National is that they have made 21 policy releases, whereas I cannot trust Labour because ont he face of it they have secret agendas and have not released any policy.

  8. randal 8
    31 August 2008 at 7:29 pm

    voting for John Keys is voting for looting of state assets by the dominate for pleasure extort for profit crowd who not only want the money but also get their jollies watching people suffer.

  9. ohdear 9
    31 August 2008 at 7:41 pm

    I think rather than worrying about facebook and largely irrelevant sign ups to daft groups, you should quickly get over to Whaleoil and view the SCAMPI DVD while it is up.

    Not a good look for a crowd who campaigned in opposition for transparency, and then went to bed with the ex MP for TGA I am afraid.

  10. Brett Dale 10
    31 August 2008 at 7:45 pm

    Facebook????? hahahahahahaha.

    You can find any facebook site and it will have hundreds of people on it.

  11. mike 11
    31 August 2008 at 7:46 pm

    Suck it up SP, I know you are hurting but linking to silly Facebook sites is a tad desperate.

    The real news is that the greens and MP are distancing themselves from the labour & NZF alliance already.
    Her economy with the truth has probably just cost her the slim chance of getting another term.

    The election is now are referendum on Winston Peters.
    A vote for Labour is a vote for NZ first and vice versa

  12. Steve Pierson 12
    31 August 2008 at 7:50 pm

    the guy asked me if i would promo the groups, I said yup because they’re a way of getting some potentional activists out of their shells.

    I’m not hurting at all.. i’m looking forward to more opportunities to put the boot in as national’s vote falls.

  13. Draco TB 13
    31 August 2008 at 7:51 pm

    What! You want me to register on facebook after I’ve studiously avoided it?

  14. Monty 14
    31 August 2008 at 8:03 pm

    I wonder what happened to Clark and her “relentlessly positive” campaign – – you leftards make me laugh – Labour have had one of their worst weeks – Trust being a central issue and This is what you come up with. Labour had a very slippery grip on a bit of a recovery (at the expense of their co-alition partners) and then the week from hell will have cut support back to 30%. Bothe Act National and the Greenies will all rise at the expense of Labour in the next poll. Clark will be forced into calling the election this week to avoid the truth coming out and having to front to the privilages Committee and yet you continue to persist is the failed strategy of trying to say John Key is not trustworthy.

    Things are looking very very bad for the left and I think it will get a whole lot worse before it gets better.

    The Neutron Bomb that you used to talk about was a fizzer but you had no idea one was heading right for the ground zero of Camp Labour.

  15. bill brown 15
    31 August 2008 at 8:08 pm

    Funny what brings the rightards out isn’t it?

    Anyway, Bill has joined so it must be k001

  16. dad4justice 16
    31 August 2008 at 8:13 pm

    ohdear; The “SCAMPI DVD” has left me fucking speechless. Only in New Zealand, we don’t know how lucky we are mate. Yeah right fuckwit. Get in behind Helen!!

  17. James Sleep 17
    31 August 2008 at 8:23 pm

    “Get in behind Helen!!”

    Thanks for that directive, D4J.

    I will continue to get behind Helen. She is a great leader.

  18. Concerned of Tawa 18
    31 August 2008 at 8:31 pm

    Monty

    “The Neutron Bomb that you used to talk about was a fizzer”

    The hydrogen bomb now is the Scampi DVD that should put an end to the most corrupt government in NZ history. It has been removed from YouTube but is popping up everywhere else. As Hone so beautifully puts it “At the moment they’re a coalition corpse. They’re gone, and anybody who is associated too closely with them is likely to be gone as well.’

    All we need now is Tariana to confirm who the wealthy overseas foreign money that tried to buy her into agreement with Labour is.
    The stench trail from Owen to Williams to H2 and finally H1 will be complete. Good.

  19. dad4justice 19
    31 August 2008 at 8:41 pm

    “I will continue to get behind Helen”

    Needles to say you will James, because you are well used [misogynist, deleted.SP]
    at the Labour Farm soon to be prison camp.
    The Scampi bomb has landed successfully and on target SIR.
    Add to You Tube Favorites and send around the world SIR.

  20. RT 20
    31 August 2008 at 8:48 pm

    “Get in behind Helen!!’
    I would rather support Helen than Jokey and the four horsemen.

  21. Quoth the Raven 21
    31 August 2008 at 8:54 pm

    D4J – What has this Scampi stuff got to do with Helen? Please explain with a good argument, not lyrical musings.

  22. roger nome 22
    31 August 2008 at 8:59 pm

    Monty – you are a bore aren’t you. The National Party front bench is stacked with the same neoliberals who broke so many election promises during the 1990s. i.2. “no more increases in tertiary fees”, “no more cuts”, “no more SOE sales” – the sectret agenda leeks confirm that this is still the National Party’s MO. They quite simply don’t believe in domocracy.

  23. Pascal's bookie 23
    31 August 2008 at 9:05 pm

    So let me guess, this scampi fish bomb of messy instruction is the interview that Rodney’s been reading all week? The one that the media never aired on legal advice?

    If Labour led govt’s got an extra 10 minutes in power for every time some right wing mouth breather announced their eminent demise, the heat death of the fncking universe would come first.

  24. helena 24
    31 August 2008 at 9:07 pm

    James Sheep, you are well named. Follow the sheeple. John Key’s Facebook page is miles ahead of Helen’s in support members, and he actually does take the time to write his own posts as well. As Mike said, a tad desperate! As the commentators said on TV the other night, this election has already been lost and won!

  25. roger nome 25
    31 August 2008 at 9:09 pm

    Hey D4J – I’m in chch tonight. Are you keen for a beer?

  26. Steve Pierson 26
    31 August 2008 at 9:16 pm

    PB – great esoteric call

    having watched the scampi vid i don’t get why it would be significant.. yeah, the scampi industry broke the rules, so what? how does that hurt the govt?

  27. Draco TB 27
    31 August 2008 at 9:39 pm

    As the commentators said on TV the other night, this election has already been lost and won!

    Yep – Won by the Left and lost by the Right. With JK effectively ruling out a governing coalition with NZF there’s absolutely no way the Right can win.

  28. dad4justice 28
    31 August 2008 at 9:52 pm

    I must decline roger and thank you for the Face Ache invitation.
    Batman has a busy night on surveillance duty.

  29. ape08 29
    31 August 2008 at 10:05 pm

    “I?m not hurting at all.. i?m looking forward to more opportunities to put the boot in as national?s vote falls”.

    Dream on Clinton old son!

  30. helena 30
    31 August 2008 at 10:08 pm

    Wishful thinking, Draco TB. The Nat’s will have the numbers to govern alone, if they wanted to, after this scandalous week, and the scamp affair…mind you, they had the numbers to govern alone, anyway…it’s now been sealed.

  31. Monty 31
    31 August 2008 at 10:18 pm

    Roger you fool – the scampi video now on every right wing blog will demonstrate that it is not National that cannot be trusted – but Labour and Winston First – Those who held out hope of Labour and Winnie cobbling together something can now only prey that their precious is even around to cobble together a co-alition. The Scampi videa raises questions such as When did Clark Know about this issue, who told her – why did she do nothing about it. It is inconceivable that Clark would not have known and at the very least her senior ministers of Braodcasting and the minister responsible would have known.

    So if you want to talk about trust and honesty – then yet again tonight we have another example where Labour are the ones who are likely to be proven to be having a secret agenda, Labour who are not being truthful. National well that have a new leader who does seem to demand honesty. Please please try and fight the election campaign on honesty and integrity. The public will simply no longer believe that is the case where labour is concerned.

    This will be the big issue this week and Clark will be forced to call the election on Wednesday.

    [lprent: Ummm how many times have you said that the election would have to be called? Was it at least 4 times over the last week? This is an old story and it has always lacked any hard evidence. Look at what Chris Trotter has had to say about it.

    Face it – this is a probably a non-story. In fact this has the look of a Crosby-Textor smoke screen.

    Helen will call an election at the time of her choosing.]

  32. Rex Widerstrom 32
    31 August 2008 at 10:30 pm

    George Darroch: You’re going to break Facebook. That is the attitude of the vast majority of NZers… which is why I can’t understand the attitude of so many on the left (including SP on another thread) to Winston. It’s behaviour like his that erodes trust in politicians of all stripes, and in the political process itself.

    If I didn’t think Facebook’s attitude to privacy makes Google’s look good, I’d join up and increase the numbers further.

  33. Monty 33
    31 August 2008 at 10:49 pm

    Lynn – I appreciate that you and all lefties will be down on bended knee praying to a God you probably don’t believe in (in desperate time it is interesting to see who finds faith) that this will be a non-story. I disagree – listening to the radio and reading the blogs tonight there has been massive traffic – the MSN will not be able to avoid the issue. The only problem for me is that with all this excitement I struggle too focus on work and as a result don’t earn as much money as I could potentially earn because of the delicious distraction.

    Still I should not complain – there is a price to pay for entertainment.

  34. r0b 34
    31 August 2008 at 10:58 pm

    I’m developing a soft spot for Monty. He tries sooo hard he really does, it’s almost endearing. We should do a collection of his greatest hits. I’ll start:
    http://www.thestandard.org.nz/?p=1664

    Monty
    April 15, 2008 at 10:03 pm
    It is Clark who is the vile nasty one – but looks like the “diddums’ is starting to stick to her – and so appropriate – over at Trademe it seems all and sundry are calling her Diddums Helen, and come the release of Ian Eishart’s “Absolute Power’ on Monday it really will be “Diddums Helen’ .

    My copy was of course ordered as soon as the launch was publicised. I will enjoy the book – and I can see this being the final nail in the coffin of the desperate and corrupt government.

    Well Monty, Absolute Power came and went and Helen is still there. Trumped up right wing scandals come and go and Helen is still there. And from the current round of rightie frothing I think they might be starting to catch on that the next election could come and go, and Helen could still be there, leading New Zealand wisely and successfully. We live in hope eh?

  35. lprent 35
    31 August 2008 at 11:37 pm

    Monty:
    Talkback is pretty useless as a guide to stories. They’d prefer to argue about things that are vague, have no factual basis, and essentially don’t matter in any fundamental way to people in this country. Most right-wing blogs are the same. I personally have no time for either.

    Don’t you ever get exhausted with getting so excited all of the time?

  36. peteremcc 36
    1 September 2008 at 2:48 am

    My earlier comment seems to have disappeared so will post it again:

    Steve, I think your understanding of this interweb thingy may be a little lacking.

    the ‘i bet i can find’ groups are just that, groups.
    The John Key and Helen Clark groups however, are actually pages.

    One big difference between the two, you can’t invite people to pages.

    So, to join a group, you just have to click ‘yes’ when invited, to join a page, you essentially have to self-select join.

    This makes it much harder to get large numbers of people in a page than a group, and because of the self-selecting nature, makes pages a much more accurate representation of support. (Not 100% of course, but much more so than groups).

  37. Jackson Wood 37
    1 September 2008 at 8:32 am

    I did a blog post about the Facebook pages a while back. It is interesting to note that a lot of the comments on John Key’s wall are either a) anti John Key or b) sycophantically for him, which is kinda scary. Also I wrote the first comment on his wall, which is in no way supportive of John Key. On Helen’s page the comments are generally warmly supportive.

    Facebook showed its evil side when I created a John Keys supporters page. (For more info on John Keys see here here and for his official supporters page on Facebook see here.) At one stage we had almost 50 John Keys supporters, till Facebook shut us down. T’was a sad day, and I wailed with sorrow. Obviously FB operate from China where political satire is a prohibited use of ones free time.

  38. Rob 38
    1 September 2008 at 9:03 am

    Only 1000 and 1500 people dont trust John Key I think you could find Hundreds of thousands that dont trust Helen at the moment. Its smells more fish every day. You Guys really need to stay away from that line of attack because I believe its going to rebound all day long on Labour .

  39. bill brown 39
    1 September 2008 at 9:22 am

    Rob, attribution for your posting, please.

  40. Matthew Pilott 40
    1 September 2008 at 10:55 am

    Peteremcc, look at the edit above – you can be invited to do both. From what I gather, if you are part of any group that is anti-labour or pro Key, then you’ll get a friend invite.

    If he were a real person, he’d be the desperate one saying that he’s trying to get over x friends and cn u plz ad me!!!1

  41. deemac 41
    1 September 2008 at 11:02 am

    there are websites and blogs for catlovers; you don’t find doglovers posting comments on them saying cats are rubbish and dogs are better – that would be weird and sad. Yet right wingers like Monty et al seem to have endless time to flame this site. Why? Either they have no life, or someone is paying them. Which is it?

  42. peteremcc 42
    1 September 2008 at 6:49 pm

    Matthew, that’s just a fake profile that is inviting them.

    You cannot send invites from pages, and the Key (4000) and Clark (2000) pages are pages, not groups, not profiles.

    Jackson, there would have been no problem if you’d set it up as a group.

    They didn’t remove it because it was satire, they removed it because it broke their rules for pages. Pages must be run by the person/group/business they represent or a person with permission by that person, and they must be a real person/group/business.

    If you want to make a satirical joke on facebook, use a group like everyone else.