Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: The Short and Long of It

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  • Craig Ranapia,

    One subject posts and the attendant one note comments day after day after day would be so depressing

    I don't think it's a zero sum game, Peter and that's equally missing the point by fixating on form over content. Andrew Sullivan says his blog is often him "thinking out loud" -- and at its best, I really enoy the way he posts on a subject, comes back and extends (or contradicts) his earlier, or links through to other perspectives, or a developing dialogue. And sometimes -- as with recent events on Iran -- it's interesting at least trying to keep on top of a breaking event.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Phil Lyth,

    brief thoughts: Russ, whatever did you do to Drinnan in a previous life?

    Could the Ian Dalziel who won the Wordsworth competition (not online) in the Listener this week be anyone known to PAS? An "aviary of knavery" indeed. (Ian might add the rest of his entry if he is nice.)

    I must get round to mailing Farrar's high praise of Red Alert to all the National backbenchers and ask them when they are going to get a move on.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2009 • 458 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Parks,

    I'm not on Wordpress and my shabby little blog does just fine.

    Quite.

    And what did Lance mean by this: "...and it [wordpress] makes it trivial to buy and host the site on a personal domain name"?

    You can do that with Blogger really easily. Well, I did it, and I know nothing about the internet or computers. Maybe I'm missing his point.

    Wellington • Since May 2007 • 1165 posts Report Reply

  • uroskin,

    My gripe with PA: the multiple subjects in the blog posts (I don't mind their length) make it impossible in the comment sections to react meaningfully. The commentary is on a million different issues and there is no threading possible.
    Also, I doubt anyone reads much past page 3 of the commentaries, so I doubt anyone reads this!

    Waiheke Island • Since Feb 2007 • 178 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Parks,

    I found it impossible to understand the meaning of your post, uroskin.

    Wellington • Since May 2007 • 1165 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    I read 'em all. Yep. All of them. I read the entire copyright thread. I am insane.

    The commentary is on a million different issues and there is no threading possible.

    Which is rad. I don't like my commentary in tidy little thread-type packages. (This might just be a question of personal preference.)

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Jo S,

    Public Address came in second, with 50.5% (Real Groove was top with 56% but half our audience, Gameplanet was third with 49% of more than twice our audience).

    I think it's great that such a high percentage of the people registered here actually contribute, although I think the moderator may have to take some credit for that too ....

    is it autumn yet? • Since May 2007 • 80 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    What I have a problem for the most part is the geek's sense of entitlement. Shift PAS to wordpress, make the posts shorter and monothematic, publish the whole RSS feed, move the domain to com or nz and I might be persuaded to read what you guys write. To which I'd add a personal gripe: would it kill the Public Address bloggers to come and do my laundry every once in a while?

    I have a very modest blog, but it's mine and I'm occasionally proud of it and I don't demand to nobody that they come and read it and I don't publish the whole RSS feed because I'm quite particular about the formatting and the pictures. Can't be bothered to click through? Don't. Look down on the fact that it's hosted by blogger? Read something else.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • RaggedJoe,

    Russell, I don't tweet or Facebook or MySpace cos I can't be bothered. But I do religiously follow Hard News. That's because I've been listening to you since you started on BFM and I have followed you to PA. I have shortcut straight into Hard News and have no problem with clicking from there to the comments. The site is easy to use and is successful and popular because of what you all have to say. Fine tune if you like but PA like the content the way it is I suspect.

    What he said..

    City of Sales • Since Sep 2008 • 72 posts Report Reply

  • Public Servant on a tea-break.,

    "... although I think the moderator may have to take some credit for that too ...."

    I agree. The tone of discussion here really makes it worthwhile to read the comments. Good work Public Address.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2008 • 67 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    gobfrey shrdlu

    Etaoin to that.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    Also, I doubt anyone reads much past page 3 of the commentaries, so I doubt anyone reads this!

    Lol

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Also, I doubt anyone reads much past page 3 of the commentaries, so I doubt anyone reads this!

    Lol

    No, I think Uroskin is spot on there: the copyright thread was 110 pages of writing but really only 3 pages of reading tops.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    M'illumino d'immenso.

    Which Harry Potter spell was that one?

    Isn't she is the adult film actress who entered Italian politics?

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Isn't she is the adult film actress who entered Italian politics?

    Don't make me get out the Italian stereotype bingo card, 'kay?

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Stewart,

    I read the entire copyright thread. I am insane.

    Cause & effect?

    I read pretty much all of every thread & comment where/when I feel like it; but I stopped reading the copyright thread and went back to pushing needles into my eyes. (Purely because it doesn't interest or have an immediate effect on me - obviously some folk are passionate about it.)

    Te Ika A Maui - Whakatane… • Since Oct 2008 • 577 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    brief thoughts: Russ, whatever did you do to Drinnan in a previous life?

    I really don't know. Honestly.

    But I wish he hadn't given senior people at TVNZ the impression this week that I had personally told him things -- he'd made a meal out of a couple of comments in Monday's post (ie: "come and join us for a drink" before the show = "taxpayer funds TVNZ booze orgy"). I had better things to do this week than sort that out.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    I agree. The tone of discussion here really makes it worthwhile to read the comments. Good work Public Address.

    Thanks.

    One of the things I tried to point out in the discussion on Lance's blog was that spending a lot of time here in the forums was at least as important as completing the official WordPress feature checklist. Well, actually, way more important.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    brief thoughts: Russ, whatever did you do to Drinnan in a previous life?

    Wow... that's more than usually snide -- you'd think Tony Astle had been handed a blank cheque and invited to bring along the five figure end of the wine list...

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    And I guess we shouldn't hold our breath waiting to see Drinnan's investigative reportage on what APN spends on "corporate hospitality" while its busy laying off journalists and outsourcing sub-editing.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Jonathan Ibell,

    Totally agree with the comments of one poster on Wiggs' blog - I find having a single thread for a blog with multiple topics is frustrating, as often I will only be interested in one of those topics. Is there not a way of having a different thread per topic? I for one would read more on PAS if this was the case.

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 10 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah,

    NO THREADING!
    I love the way the conversation meanders back and forth between two or three or more themes. I would read LESS on PAS with threaded comments. This is because I am a simple soul, and threading that goes more than one or two deep just confuses me.

    Just a few for minutes for editing is enough - all you should really be doing is fixing up typos and formatting anyway.

    RSS - clipped is fine.

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    Late getting to this, but I have a really good excuse.

    Let me see if I can paraphrase this argument:

    Lance: I never ever use your cow because it sucks, but let me tell you what your cow is like. Problem #1, it doesn't give enough milk.

    People who actually use PA: Um dude? That's a horse.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Phil Lyth,

    Nielsen has released a split of sites

    Um, I read that as saying there is only one lurker (registered or not) for each person who is commenting. That few? Russ, you've obviously got a truckload of info from Nielsen - care to share more over the next week or too? Obviously you'd be far too good to stoop to print media's selective excerpting of figures.

    more than usually snide

    Craig, I hope that clean shirt/one sock invite is for Drinnan rather than me.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2009 • 458 posts Report Reply

  • Ben Gracewood,

    Ditto - flag the threading. I'm a proponent of complete RSS feeds, but then again as a budding online publisher, I can see the attraction of partial feeds.

    Just looked at Analytics for Wednesday: 20,000 page impressions!

    Did I mention that when you linked to me regarding the Karl and the painted ladies, I got more hits than NBR, Computerworld, and NZHerald Technology combined?

    Also, those forum stats: interesting that Geekzone was missing. Piles of lurkers?

    Orkland • Since Nov 2006 • 168 posts Report Reply

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