The Standard turned three
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9:57 pm, August 17th, 2010 - 49 comments
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How time flies when you’re having fun. We managed to miss The Standard’s third birthday a few days ago despite some earlier avowed intentions to make a fuss over it.
Our first (visible) post was on the 15th of August 2007 from all_your_base appropriately enough it was asking John Key to explain his fuzzy thinking – but he is still doing it. His ideas still seem to depend on the focus group results. It is interesting to see the range of topics we were writing about in August 2007.
Despite our various vicissitudes and trauma of some server moves and the loss of some graphics during a server failure, you can still see all of our 5933 posts in the archives of the last 1100 days and 190,446 approved comments. That is a pretty good for a largely political site. The quality, despite some unevenness at various times, is pretty high – and always very opinionated.
There have been thirty people who have author rights at some time or another and have written at least a few posts. Some of them have found it isn’t to their taste (writing coherent and concise posts is a bit of an artform). Others have shifted their time to other parts of their lives.
However we maintain all our authors logins as active in the hopes that they will come back and write for us again someday. Others of us wax and wane in our posting depending on what our lives are doing and what interest we have in the topics of the day. Looking back to August 2007 I see that all_your_base, John A, IrishBill, and Eddie were actively writing posts then, and still do today. I was there in 2007 but getting the system setup and later trying to make sure it didn’t fall over…
These days we have a number of people outside of the author group writing as guest posters (in fact half of the posts today), providing us with ‘original’ graphics, or just telling us what they think we’re doing right or wrong using the e-mail back-channel.
About a twentieth of the daily readers actually comment on the site. But those who do make up for it with a raucous range of political and often humorous opinion. It is obviously a source of amusement to the silent majority. They keep popping back very frequently to some posts frequently to see what is going on, usually the ones with a higher quality of comments rather than those with excessive comments. The difference between the number of comments per post and the number of page views is often pretty striking.
I think I can say that The Standard has grown into a real community project of those on the left and around the labour movement. That was the dream of the small group that set the site up. Of course we have been helped by the generous assistance of those on the right torturing our ideas and sparking some of the more interesting arguments. We don’t exactly agree most of the time even on the left and even the authors don’t see eye to eye frequently. But that is half of the fun.
This is a place where most people come to argue and agree to disagree in a approximation of peace and moderation (or there is moderation… :twisted:). Long may it continue……
BTW: Where are the other posts that were promised for this auspicious occasion?
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Today, the Green Party stands alongside the survivors of abuse in state care and faith-based care as the Government issues an historic apology. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party calls for conscience vote on Treaty Principles Bill
The Green Party has written to the Speaker of the House requesting he enable a personal vote on the Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt move to exclude journalist risks chilling effect
The Green Party is alarmed by the Government’s move to exclude a journalist from covering this week’s apology for the survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care. ...2 weeks ago
- Without action, an apology will be empty air
For tomorrow’s apology to survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care to hold any water, the Government must not pursue the same policies that drove the abuse in the first place. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Concerns remain over tobacco interference
Concerns about the tobacco industry’s ability to interfere in government policy making remain, despite the inability of the Office of the Auditor-General to investigate the Government’s decision to halve the excise tax on heated tobacco products. ...2 weeks ago
- Urgent wake-up call on climate
The Climate Change Commission’s latest advice indicates Aotearoa needs to be stepping up on climate action. ...2 weeks ago
- Green MP’s Meme-ber’s Bill set to save the world
Break out the punchlines and dust off your meme folder: Green Party MP Kahurangi Carter’s Copyright (Parody and Satire) Amendment Bill was pulled from the Ballot yesterday. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Poroporoaki: Ta Robert (Bom) Gillies
Kua hinga te manawa kairākau o Te Rua Tekau Ma Waru Tiwhatiwha te po! Kakarauru i te po! Ka rapuhia kei hea koe kua riro! Haere e te Ika a Whiro ki o tini hoa kua ngaro atu ki te Pō ...2 weeks ago
- Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori call on the Prime Minister to block the Treaty Principles Bill
The opposition parties stand united for an Aotearoa that honours Te Tiriti, rather than seeking to rewrite it. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are working together against the Government’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori call on the Prime Minister to block the Treaty Principle...
The opposition parties stand united for an Aotearoa that honours Te Tiriti, rather than seeking to rewrite it. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are working together against the Government’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...3 weeks ago
- NZ must pursue independent foreign policy
The Green Party says the need is greater than ever for Aotearoa New Zealand to pursue an independent foreign policy. ...3 weeks ago
- Child Protection Investigation Unit established
A new Child Protection Investigation Unit is being established to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children in care, Minister for Children Karen Chhour says. “The report released by the Royal Commission into abuse in state care shows us all the risk of not acting immediately when there are serious ...3 days ago - Speech at United States Business Summit 2024
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Ka mihi ki te mana whenua ko Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. Kia ora and good morning everyone. Thank you Fran and Simon for inviting me here today, and importantly your leadership of this forum over several years now. I want to acknowledge David Gehrenbeck, Deputy ...3 days ago
- Record number of submissions received on granny flat proposal
Nearly 2,000 submissions have been received on the Government’s proposals aimed at making it easier to build a granny flat of up to 60 square metres without a resource or building consent, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk say. “This is the highest number ...3 days ago
- District Court Judge appointed
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Rebecca Guthrie as a District Court Judge. Judge Guthrie was admitted to the bar in 1997 following her graduation from the University of Canterbury in 1996 (LLB, BA). She commenced her legal career in Hastings in 1997 before moving to London in ...3 days ago
- Appointments strengthen Predator Free 2050
The latest Predator Free 2050 Board appointments will help to strengthen biodiversity efforts across Aotearoa New Zealand, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says. Mr Potaka today announced two appointments to the Board of Directors of Predator Free 2050 Limited, a key player in the wider Predator Free 2050 Programme. “The Predator ...3 days ago
- New facility in Christchurch will improve the lives of young New Zealanders
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey today opened Kahurangi, an innovative and much-needed facility for Canterbury’s Child, Adolescent, and Family Mental Health Services. “The new state of the art outpatient facility opened today will be a gamechanger for the way mental health is delivered for young people in Canterbury,” says Mr ...3 days ago
- Driver safety screens to be installed on Auckland buses
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed news from the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) that bus driver protection screens will be installed across Auckland’s bus fleet by 2026.“The Government is committed to improving the safety of working environments for bus drivers, and Budget 2024 allocated $15 million of Crown funding over ...3 days ago
- Government action provides Southland farmers more time to meet plan requirements
The Government is taking action to ensure Southland farmers and growers are not affected by unreasonable regional farm plan deadlines, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard say.“Cabinet has agreed to provide more time for farmers and growers to comply with regional rules ...4 days ago
- Bill reaffirms Government’s commitment to crack down on serious youth offending
The Oranga Tamariki (Responding to Serious Youth Offending) Bill had its first reading at Parliament today. The Bill reaffirms the Government’s commitment to crack down on serious youth offending, Minister for Children Karen Chhour says. “In recent years we have seen an unacceptable spike in youth offending. “This Bill makes ...4 days ago
- Critical milestones for earthquake buildings review
Fairer, more sensible rules about managing earthquake risks are a step closer with the passing of legislation and the appointment of an independent chair to provide expert advice, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The Government is committed to reinvigorating our cities and regions to support economic growth, ...4 days ago
- State of the art radiology machine for Auckland
People in Northland and Auckland will benefit from a new machine for cancer treatment installed at the Regional Cancer and Blood Service at Auckland City Hospital. The MV5 linear accelerator, or LINAC machine, officially opened today targets cancer tumours with pinpoint accuracy. Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says this new, ...4 days ago
- Foreign Minister to visit Europe
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Europe for high-level talks with France, Germany and the United Kingdom next week. "Since taking office almost a year ago, the Coalition Government has emphasised the importance we place on New Zealand's traditional and likeminded diplomatic and ...4 days ago
- First arrests made under gang patch ban
Police have made their first arrests under the new gang patch legislation, with two gang members arrested, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. “Just before 11 this morning, Police in Wairoa apprehended a gang member for wearing a patch to the supermarket. He has been arrested and will now face enforcement ...4 days ago
- Better support for victims of sexual violence
The Government is proposing two major changes to name suppression laws that will put the views of victims of sexual violence first, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “We are committed to restoring law and order and these two proposed changes will help ensure the victims of crime are put at ...4 days ago
- Government moving forward with Regional Deals
Cabinet has agreed to invite all regions to submit proposals for Regional Deals between central and local government that drive economic growth and deliver the infrastructure our country needs, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop say. Inviting all regions to propose a Regional Deal that boosts ...4 days ago
- MSA pilot participant update
One of the ten young men selected to participate in the Military-Style Academy Pilot has allegedly reoffended. Children’s Minister Karen Chhour is disappointed but says it would be naïve to think that none of these young men would reoffend. “I’m saddened that this young person has not taken this opportunity ...4 days ago
- Fighting for Kiwis in Trade
Delivered at Auckland Trade and Economic Policy School Good morning and thank you Deputy Vice Chancellor Lithander for your warm welcome and for inviting me to open Auckland Trade and Economic Policy School today. A Special thanks to the University of Auckland, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and ...4 days ago
- Attendance rates increase, again
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says that school attendance is continuing to rise. In Term 3 of 2024 51.3 per cent of students attended school regularly, an increase of 5.3 percentage points from 46 per cent in Term 3 of 2023. “This Government has prioritised student attendance and it is ...4 days ago
- Improving the lives of young New Zealanders
Ensuring New Zealand is the best place in the world for children and young people is the vision at the heart of the Government’s new Child and Youth Strategy, Child Poverty Reduction Minister Louise Upston says. “Childhood represents a huge opportunity to set people on a positive path towards living ...4 days ago
- Government continues work to reinstate livestock exports by sea
The Government is reinstating the trade of livestock exports by sea while ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare, says Associate Minister of Agriculture Andrew Hoggard.“The Government will introduce legislation changes to reinstate the trade, enhance oversight, and strengthen requirements for exporters to identify risks and manage the welfare of ...5 days ago
- Speech to the National Quality Forum 2024
Tēnā koutou katoa – it is a pleasure to be here today. I would like to begin by acknowledging the important leadership role you all play in ensuring a quality health system New Zealanders can trust. There is enormous clinical expertise in this room covering a wide range of disciplines. ...5 days ago
- New Zealand’s COP29 National Statement
Tēnā koutou katoa. Mr President, Excellencies, Delegates. New Zealand, and all nations represented here today, are already dealing with the impacts of climate change. Our households, businesses, and economies are bearing the costs of its effects. The choices we make now will shape the severity of these impacts for generations ...5 days ago
- Latest Quarterly Investment Report released
The Government has released its second Quarterly Investment Report (QIR) which shows substantial work still to be done by agencies to improve investment reporting and meet the Government’s expectations, Infrastructure and Acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “New Zealand has significant infrastructure and investment needs. The Government is determined to get ...5 days ago
- New Zealand supporting loss and damage fund
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced New Zealand will contribute NZ$10 million to the new Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage while at the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. “New Zealand is joining the global effort to address the significant challenge of responding to ...5 days ago
- Gang crackdown begins at stroke of midnight
The free ride for gangs is over when the clock strikes midnight tonight, with tough new laws officially coming into effect, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Police Minister Mark Mitchell say. “Gang patches will no longer be able to be worn in public. To earn the right to wear a ...5 days ago
- LGFA increases borrowing capacity to support high growth councils
The Government is welcoming the decision by the Local Government Funding Agency to increase access to financing tools for fast growing councils to support greater investment in critical infrastructure, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says.“Communities across the country are facing an infrastructure deficit and significant population growth is projected in ...5 days ago
- Temporary Traffic Management costs revealed
The Government has revealed that over the past three years, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has spent an eyewatering $786 million of taxpayers’ money on road cones and temporary traffic management (TTM), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“When I became Minister, I was surprised to learn that that NZTA did ...5 days ago
- Jurisdiction of Disputes Tribunal to double
Legislation that will double the financial jurisdiction of the Disputes Tribunal from $30,000 to $60,000 has passed first reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith. “We need to improve court timeliness and access to justice so that Kiwis and get on with their lives. Court delays affect everyone, the ...6 days ago
- Protecting New Zealand from foreign interference
Legislation that will specifically criminalise foreign interference and strengthen espionage offences has passed first reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “It is normal and appropriate for states to interact and work to influence one another. This encourages cooperation and can have mutually beneficial outcomes. “However, the reality ...6 days ago
- Significant milestone for Canterbury Road of National Significance
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed news that the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board has approved funding towards pre-implementation and early works on the State Highway 1 (SH1) Belfast to Pegasus Motorway and Woodend Bypass Road of National Significance (RoNS). “Reaching this significant milestone is a reflection of our Government’s ...6 days ago
- Health survey results to help drive change
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says findings from the annual Health Survey highlight the need to continue driving better health outcomes for New Zealanders. The New Zealand Health Survey is an annual snapshot of key metrics measured from July 2023 – July 2024. Findings released this morning include: In 2023/24, ...6 days ago
- Final push needed to get to Smokefree 2025
A renewed effort to get people to quit smoking will build on what has worked to date and target the groups who most need support, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said today. “The latest New Zealand Health Survey results show the daily smoking rate at 6.9 per cent and we ...6 days ago
- New diplomatic appointments
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced four new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign ...6 days ago
- Next steps for Regulatory Standards Bill
Regulation Minister David Seymour has today announced the next steps in the Government’s plan improve the quality of regulation by opening consultation on a proposed Regulatory Standards Bill. “New Zealand's low wages can be blamed on low productivity, and low productivity can be blamed on poor regulation,” says Mr Seymour. ...6 days ago
- Red Tape Tipline goes live
Minister for Regulation David Seymour has today announced that the Ministry for Regulation’s Red Tape Tipline is now live. “We want to hear about your red tape horror stories. From today, New Zealanders will have a say on how they are regulated through an online portal,” says Mr Seymour. The ...6 days ago
- Youth Parliament 2025 announced
The Minister for Youth Matt Doocey has today announced the eleventh Youth Parliament will be taking place in 2025. “Youth Parliament offers a unique youth development opportunity to young people from across New Zealand to experience the political process and learn about how government works,” says Mr Doocey. “The two-day ...7 days ago
- Police stats show promising change
After nearly a year in Government, Kiwis have seen significant change across law and order with promising early results shown across some Police statistics, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. “In August 2023, I told New Zealanders that if they had not started to see a change in public safety within ...7 days ago
- Better coordination of anti-scam efforts
With the launch of Fraud Awareness Week, the Government is committing to new coordination efforts across industry and government to combat online scams, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Online financial scams are a growing problem for New Zealand. New data released today shows that Kiwis lost nearly ...7 days ago
- Minister to consider 7AA select committee report
Minister for Children Karen Chhour will consider the recommendations made by the Social Services and Community Committee in its report back to Parliament on the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill. “I want to thank the people who made submissions and those who appeared before the committee in ...7 days ago
- Defence Minister to attend ASEAN meeting
Defence Minister Judith Collins will this week attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Vientiane, Laos. “We need to take every opportunity to engage with our international partners, given the increasingly unstable geo-political situation,” Ms Collins says. “New Zealand has a long-standing commitment to this ...7 days ago
- Creative sector welcomes draft government strategy, but calls for more funds
Many say NZ is well behind the rest of the world in developing and supporting its creative professionals. ...2 hours ago - Peters’ push to turn Europe’s eyes south
The Foreign Minister is headed to Europe, where he will deliver the last of seven major speeches of the past year The post Peters’ push to turn Europe’s eyes south appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 hours ago - Death of a feminist legend
In March, on the twentieth anniversary of the death of a brilliant feminist thinker from Auckland who became a superstar in US academia, Justin Okin wrote a moving tribute to his mother, Susan Moller Okin, on International Women’s Day. “She was arguably the most influential feminist political philosopher of her ...2 hours ago
- COP29: A bad deal was better than no deal
Analysis: After contentious diplomatic talks like COP29, people like to point to the platitude: A good compromise is one where no one’s happy.When we’re discussing the climate crisis and all of the human suffering that entails, however, shouldn’t we be striving for a deal that works, not just one that ...2 hours ago
- Defence Force holds flurry of high-tech meetings with Western power trio
The NZDF has been meeting with the US, UK and Australia to discuss advanced technology and spy tech. ...2 hours ago
- Call for urgent government intervention as obesity rates soar
A sugar levy and removing sugary drinks from schools are among the obesity-fighting recommendations from a new report. ...2 hours ago
- The government turns one: PM Christopher Luxon talks coalition dynamics, differences and deals
Analysis - Luxon is loath to spend too much time looking backwards, and invited to share any lessons from his first year as PM, he draws something of a blank. ...3 hours ago
- Climate finance: NZ could face hefty bill as new funding target agreed at COP29
The new target will "set the expectation" that NZ contributes more to help developing nations move away from using fossil fuels. ...3 hours ago
- ‘I need to make you suffer’: My near decade of violent harassment by a man I barely know
Zeni Gibson has been stalked and harassed for nearly nine years by a man she rejected when she was 17. This is her story. As told to Madeleine Holden. Cover Stories are longform journalism supported by Spinoff Members. Support this work here. Spinoff Cover Stories are now available in audio ...3 hours ago - Windbag: If I were mayor for a day…
Wellington editor Joel MacManus pitches his big idea to save the capital: more statues on the waterfront. After The Spinoff’s recent Year in Review live show at the Hannah Playhouse, an audience member asked me an intriguing question: What would you do if you were mayor for a day? I ...3 hours ago
- Zeni’s experience is extreme, but it isn’t rare
Hundreds of thousands of New Zealand women are impacted by stalking and harassment, and collectively they’re being failed by the official response. In August last year, The Spinoff received a polite yet tentative email from a 24-year-old woman named Zeni Gibson. “I am hoping to speak to someone about the ...3 hours ago
- UK to slash climate pollution by 81%. Could NZ do the same?
Analysis: The Government’s decision to slam the brakes on climate policy sets NZ up for an expensive or embarrassing new Paris target The post UK to slash climate pollution by 81%. Could NZ do the same? appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 hours ago
- Opposition parties also failing to address economic orthodoxy
Opinion: Business craves a more certain and supportive fiscal stance The post Opposition parties also failing to address economic orthodoxy appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 hours ago
- Bullish a2 Milk pushes sharemarket to two–year high
A2 Milk’s rally is expected to be followed by a strong F&P Healthcare result and a 50 basis point interest rate cut this week The post Bullish a2 Milk pushes sharemarket to two–year high appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 hours ago
- The death of the local rag
The headlines are being hogged by the TV stars, the daily news reporters being made redundant, and the local programmes going.But at a much more grassroots level, we are also seeing the demise of the local free paper.The ones that aren’t disappearing are shrinking, losing advertising revenue, missing out on ...3 hours ago
- Daily crossword, Monday 25 November
The post Daily crossword, Monday 25 November appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 hours ago
- NZ’s bold investment in geothermal will pay off
Opinion: On November 14 the Government announced that up to $60 million will be ring-fenced from the Regional Infrastructure Fund to explore the potential of supercritical geothermal technology to help secure New Zealand’s future energy needs. The aim of supercritical geothermal technology (SCGT) is to harness extremely high-temperature fluids from ...3 hours ago
- Stuff’s fashion publication opts for independence over closure
Ensemble Magazine’s founders are preparing to take their outlet independent in a turbulent period for New Zealand media The post Stuff’s fashion publication opts for independence over closure appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 hours ago
- Lessons from a damaged island on a potential Treaty referendum
What if a referendum on the Treaty allowed unlimited funding to campaigners from overseas, and no disclosure of who donated? The post Lessons from a damaged island on a potential Treaty referendum appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 hours ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 25 November
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 25 November appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 hours ago
- COP29: Carbon credit trading scheme criticised as ‘get out of jail free card’
By Kate Green , RNZ News reporter A new carbon credit trading deal reached in the final hours of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, has been criticised as a free pass for countries to slack off on efforts to reduce emissions at home. The deal, sealed at the annual UN climate ...7 hours ago - View from The Hill: Albanese government crumples on misinformation bill and gambling advertising
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra “Big Tech” is celebrating one victory over the Albanese government, but is set to lose on another front. Ahead of the final parliamentary sitting week for 2024, the government has not just withdrawn its ...10 hours ago
- ‘I was so scared’: Abused as children, incarcerated as adults
Former inmates are speaking out to demand better mental health care for those currently imprisoned. ...10 hours ago
- ‘I was so scared’: Abused as children, incacerated as adults
Former inmates are speaking out to demand better mental health care for those currently imprisoned. ...10 hours ago
- Remaining members of ‘Bali nine’ set for repatriation, with conditions
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government is still discussing the details for the remaining five of the “Bali nine” to be repatriated to Australia, Special Minister of Sate Don Farrell has said. The planned repatriation follows the representations ...11 hours ago
- COP 29: Carbon credit trading scheme criticised as ‘get out of jail free card’
The deal reached in the final hours of COP29 has been criticised as a free pass for countries to slack off on efforts to reduce emissions at home. ...12 hours ago
- COP 29: Carbon credit trading scheme critisised as ‘get out of jail free card’
The deal reached in the final hours of COP29 has been criticised as a free pass for countries to slack off on efforts to reduce emissions at home. ...12 hours ago
- Protest photographer John Miller records Hīkoi mō te Tiriti with his historic lens
RNZ News For almost six decades photographer John Miller (Ngāpuhi) has been a protest photographer in Aotearoa New Zealand. From his first photographs of an anti-Vietnam War protest on Auckland’s Albert Street as a high school student in 1967, to Hīkoi mō te Tiriti last week, Miller has focused much ...13 hours ago
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jacqueline Peel, Director, Melbourne Climate Futures, The University of Melbourne The petroleum-laden dust has settled on this year’s United Nations climate summit, COP29, held over the past fortnight in Baku, Azerbaijan. Climate scientists, leaders, lobbyists and delegates are heading for home. ...14 hours ago
- All Blacks end of year tour: What we learned
Analysis - There's plenty to talk about including TJ Perenara's statement during the haka, Jamie Wall writes. ...19 hours ago
- ‘To love is to move towards freedom’: Parliament’s newest MP makes their maiden st...
Green MP Benjamin Doyle has joined the 54th Parliament a year into its term. Their maiden statement emphasised the need for radical love. ...23 hours ago
- Live: Minister absent on crucial day as climate talks near collapse
Small island and vulnerable nations walked out of climate finance negotiations on Saturday afternoon in Baku, Azerbaijan, protesting a process they say excluded their participation and views.The COP29 talks are now on the edge of collapse on the crucial issue of a new global finance goal, as the summit has ...1 day ago
- Hīkoi hats: Why are so many people wearing red berets?
For the march to Parliament, many young wahine donned a red beret. It's a pōtae steeped in history and symbolism. ...1 day ago
- An Ode to .. Erica Stanford
Mean Girl HighSchool swot Jan Tinetti hurries to classAs the bell rings.Slouching against the lockers,Mean Girl Erica lies in waitWith her surly gang of Teen Delinquents.Erica whispers somethingAnd leers horribly at Jan at she scurries past.Jan’s lip trembles,And a hot tear rolls down her face.The Meanies all cackle with gleeAnd ...1 day ago
- Behind the Banner: Inside the hīkoi mō te Tiriti
Over nine days, rangatahi and veterans of past hīkoi walked shoulder-to-shoulder to take their message to Parliament. Ella Stewart and Cole Eastham-Farrelly were there. ...1 day ago - Concern Regarding Inconsistent Designation Of Terrorist Organizations
While it is important to maintain strong alliances, it is equally crucial to uphold our Kiwi values of fairness and justice. New Zealand has always prided itself on its commitment to equality and human rights. ...1 day ago
- New Zealand Government’s Racially Divisive Treaty Principles Bill Passes First Reading
By voting for the bill and allowing it to proceed to the select committee, the coalition parties are enabling ACT—an extremely unpopular party that received just 8.6 percent in the 2023 election—to dominate political discourse, posturing as the party of ...2 days ago
- Fiji’s Immigration Minister steps down temporarily over ‘unauthorised’ passports for cult memb...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Home Affairs and Immigration Minister Pio Tikoduadua has ordered an inquiry into the “possible unauthorised issuance of passports” by immigration staff and “offered to step aside temporarily from role”. In a statement on Thursday night, Tikoduadua said the passports in question were issued to the children of ...2 days ago
- A 4.45 billion-year-old crystal from Mars reveals the planet had water from the beginning
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aaron J. Cavosie, Senior lecturer, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University JPL-Caltech/NASA Water is ubiquitous on Earth – about 70% of Earth’s surface is covered by the stuff. Water is in the air, on the surface and inside rocks. ...2 days ago
- COP29 summit runs overtime as finance talks falter over ‘insult’
“Is it a joke?”That’s what Bolivian diplomat Diego Balanza said on Wednesday in Baku, Azerbaijan, when asked by a reporter about the possibility of the new global climate finance goal (the NCQG) landing at just US$200 billion a year. Developing countries have been pushing for a number in the trillions, ...2 days ago
The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.
May I be the first of the 5% to wish The Standard a happy birthday, may the next three years (and hopefully more) be as good as the last three!
Thank you. I think that the site has developed a life of it’s own these days and will go on for many years…..
It’s a great blog and well done to you all for keeping it going. 🙂
I came across this site while doing family tree research – my grandfather was involved in the publishing of the original Standard and have not regretted a moment of the time spent here.
I have enjoyed most of all the willingness of others to share information as well as thoughts and appreciate hearing a good range of diverse opinions with mainly a left influence.
The righties, while less erudite in the main, add a bit of colour (usually generating some blue language at some point) to the debate.
While I’m a relative newcomer thanks for the hard work that goes on behind the scenes.
It would be interesting to have a few guest posts from some old school trade unionists – just a thought.
Congrats to you all and to the large pack of animals who continue to follow your trail. 🙂
You at The Standard have been very dogged at keeping quality up and smart opinions to the fore and limiting the downward urges of some of us. Also the site set-up just gets better and better. It’s a pleasure to be able to visit and raise topics and when I need background on a subject someone will give a useful link – generally the array of information and links available is stunning.
Lolz, I remember when the righties were claiming that The Standard was going to fold after the 2008 election.
That was kind of amusing. According to the RWNJ’s we were run from the 9th floor at the beehive. They ignored the content of our authors were writing, preferring to believe their own fantasies instead.
At the time I was paying the minimal costs to run the site and had done so since the start where we needed money and resources. I had to laugh every time I read the 9th floor conspiracy nutters.
Afte the election we had time to recruit more authors and the site really took off. Eventually we got time to revamp the site and put advertising in and now we have enough in the bank to run for quite a while….
Happy birthday Standard. It’s a very good site, I’m glad I found it. It’s interesting how the righties can’t stay away – probably because they need to turn to the left if they want a decent conversation. All that Randian individualism leaves them with nothing to say to each other.
Happy Birthday!! Love youse all.
yeah thanks guys
Thanks to all authors past and current for your contribution. Here’s to many great years of The Standard to come!
A big thank you to all the mods, webdesigners, tech support, writers, the crew who came up with the inspired concept and followed it through, many others including all the posters and commentators who keep The Standard a living breathing successful site – yes that even includes the Righties 😀
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday to the Standard.
My days would not be the same without you. I would get a lot more work done but my understanding of what was actually happening in New Zealand would be much poorer …
A rare opportunity to address the blog itself:
Happy Birthday THE STANDARD!!
Hey – the black grav is very cool… But what about this for a change..
Happy blogday lprent and crew, it’s a real achievement in blogging to make it to three years and carve out a clear and significant niche as The Std has done.
If it’s not difficult, I’d be interested to know what some of the peaks have been. No worries if tricky to pull.
What types of stats were you after?
Most commented/viewed posts?
Looking at page views for the last two years (good data) as a percentage (makes it easier to read patterns) of the About page.
The unique page views are where it looks like someone different read the page (this is off google analytics). Unique page views on the about are 85% of the total page views.
The figure in the brackets is the number of comments where relevant
The basic pattern is where we have a lot of different people reading the page the unique page view percentages will be similar. Where people are repeat reading – eg the election night post where people were rereading the post as it was being progressively updated, the unique page views will be small.
Commented posts would be expected to have a higher difference between the two percentages, and we do see that on some of the posts. For instance “Sack Henry Now” is a high comment post. However it isn’t that much of a difference in most cases.
You can clearly see referral posts, where another site is directing people over for a read once. For instance the “Hey Chubby” post was like that. The difference between the two percentages gets pretty small.
I can read this far more directly than these numbers when I sample logs to look at the IP’s reading the post vs the IP’s writing comments. That is where I get the 5% of readers also write comments. Most posts are read in just a couple of days and most IP’s on DSL don’t change much. In fact the only commentators who have moving IP’s outside of a 255 block range are on dialup.
The pattern is a bit screwed in this example of 2 years because in Feb 2009 we shifted to the new format. That caused our front page page views to drop (you used to be able to read the whole post there most of the time), and page numbers for individual posts to rise.
Happy birthday!
Captcha: biggest. A goal for your terrible threes?
Bring down the gummint. Or at least spit my dummy at them. Speaking only for myself of course.
Happy Birthday The Standard!
Without ye, I would have missed far to much interesting political news that rarely makes it to the 6pm news. And missed out on many awesome NZ blogs!
/hic
Brilliant! 30mg of citalopram + celebratory snifter of scotch = me tipsy :/
congratulations on your wonderful work and the commitment of all who make the site work. i’m a regular reader but very infrequent commenter. i’m finding this place to be one of my main sources of political news. i also enjoy some of the more theoretical type posts, because i haven’t formally studied political science, so find these really useful to build up my knowledge.
keep up the good work, and hope for wonderful things in the future.
captcha: mislead. oh, but that never happens here 🙂
Congratulations and many happy returns Standardistas!
and thank you.
great site, interesting mix of commenters and humour , an oasis among the bland msm, appreciate all the time that the authors and site admin put in the last 3 years. 🙂
Ditto positive comments above. Well done all, your work is appreciated.
… first port of call every day and during breaks …
Where would we be without you? Continue with the good work to
“keep the bastards honest” . (And we know you are being read regularly
across the spectrum because periodically your targets feel the need to comment
in person.)
Thanks for the work that goes into keeping this site active, informative and yes, entertaining. And as has been mentioned above, a refreshing alternative to the six o’clock news.
Nice work peeps.
Cheers, y’all. Terrific fun, great insights and a level of debate significantly higher than on any other political blog in NZ.
Can I be the first to suggest an annual award ceremony? Best post, most commented on, most read, The Irish Bill Mercy Killing Award for the Best Banning etc. A combination of the stats and popular vote perhaps? I reckon I can stump up with an appropriate prize and no doubt there are others prepared to donate a right on Tshirt or two.
Irish will be proud to have his work recognized in such a way – but I must show him how to make sure that they stay banned……
I always have a question about awards. Do they distort behavior? Personally I pretty much ignore recognition because the only opinion I value about my performance is my own (and I’m my harshest critic as well). However I notice that most other people aren’t built that way. Which probably explains why they aren’t veteran (much better word than old) programmers.
I always shudder at the pattern of behavior that kiwiteen displayed after I published a list of comment counts. Now that was some distorted behavior.
Essential viewing – sets the standard.
As a junkie into politics this site is keenly observed and occasionally served.
Now lets take it to the bastards, they haven’t earnt it, don’t deserve it and are incapable of making it work..
Oh, and I’ve come to think of Lprent as my BigBrother
Hah! I don’t tell you what to think. I just limit what you may do here…..
Of course there are some people with such a blasé attitude about ownership that they assume everything belongs to them under their “free speech” that they dislike the limitations on their “rights” to pee against every comment. Usually ACToids and libertarianz from what I’ve seen – they have such a flexible approach to coherent doctrines.
Aren’t RWNJ’s also the most likely to wax on about the rights of property owners? Strange they would not extend their own ideas to property owned by Lefties. Oh yeah, I suppose what you said about coherent doctrines applies.
Happy birthday, The Standard. Thanks to the team behind the site, keep up the good work.
Happy birthday. This is an invaluable part of the NZ blogosphere. I have always liked the way there is lively debate here, while racist, misogynistic, homophobic and abusive trolling is controlled, kept out of my face, and not allowed to derail discussions.
Yes well done.
From the right wing nut jobs.
(actually 3 years seems an appropriate age given the goings-on at times)
G’day all. Your thanks are much appreciated, because (I find at least) that writing here regularly is bloody hard work!
But I want to turn the tables and thank all those who read and comment here. (So many of the comments here are brilliant, so many of you could just as easily be writing posts!) It is the readers and commenters that make this place the lively and successful blog that it is…
….so many of you could just as easily be writing posts!
Sometimes they do – look at how many guest posts we had yesterday.
I wrote a post once but it must have been put in the rubbish bin. It was supportive of a left type ideal which the last government was flouting and becoming the opposite of. Steve pierson was obviously unimpressed – hee hee.
Back when I was doing guest posts I had a few that didn’t make it too. No harm done – try again!
[Sighs …such a nice thread. Nothing for me to play school monitor on.:-)]
Yeah, there is always the addiction factor with the moderators edit…
Excelent work team. I especially like the broad left bent to the site and the wise banning of the odd complete RWNJ (jh on frogblog can get so tedious at times and dont even bother trying to have an proper argument with him/her).
Keep it up!
Money – do you still need contributions at present? Or are the various ads sufficient revenue?
Ads are more than sufficient. Of course we won’t turn away donations – I’m sure we can find a use for them leading up to the election.
In this wide-open environment about 3rd party political advertising, I’ve been speculating on effective uses. One that comes to mind is to target the politicians that need removing – ie vote for anyone but [insert name here]
The author of the super-shitty in Epsom comes to mind. Just think of the graphical billboard possibilities.
Also good advertising for the site 😈
Like the film with voting catch-cry ‘Vote for None of the Above’ eh.