Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: All your Trade are belong to us

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  • Craig Ranapia,

    Sunday, after The Listener reached subscribers

    Does it? I've just had my third conversation in six weeks asking whether The Listener has gone to a bi-weekly publication without bothering to tell anyone. And each and every time I've been assured that issues are being addressed, resolved and... well, that's the point where I go my happy place.

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

  • Grant McDougall,

    the eight pages of don't-worry-be-happy drivel that constitutes a cover story

    Slagging the utterly mediocre Listener is shooting fish in a barrel territory these days I know, but that article really is abject, insipid, twaddle bereft of any genuine merit.

    As I've said before, why don't they just change their name to Self-Help Weekly and get it over and done with ?

    It guts me how weak and pathetic that magazine has became.

    I mean, how many times have they ran cover stories with the the words "How To..." or "How You Can..." ?

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    I'd love to know why TM "had to" release so much information to the Police. Surely the people charged haven't traded with tens-of-thousands of other users. I could understand "the records of these accounts, and the trading records of those with whom they have traded", but I find it extremely hard to believe that this would be a net that casts so wide as to be five figures in size. Maybe I'm just underestimating the complexity of such a web?

    I understand compulsion under warrant, but that sounds more like a fishing expedition.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Michael Stevens,

    Jane Clifton still is worth the read. But I don't think I'll be renewing my sub when it runs out.

    But the main issue Russell raises here points to that strange way that I think most of us view our online lives.

    Because we tend to go online in the privacy of our own homes, or offices, we automatically think that what we do online is somehow private, when it so often is not. We create this illusion, understandably, that as we need to use various passwords etc to get into places, what we are doing is somehow secure.

    I don't konw if this very human response will ever change, but it is defintiely woirth bearing in mind .

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 230 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    but I find it extremely hard to believe that this would be a net that casts so wide as to be five figures in size.

    That seems to be at issue. The Listener story says "at least 5000 and as many as 10,000" and the Trade Me advisory says 3000.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    mean, how many times have they ran cover stories with the the words "How To..." or "How You Can..." ?

    "How You Too Can Stay in Shape and Keep Your Job in the Current Property Downturn (And what It Means for NCEA)"?

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Idiot Savant,

    Meanwhile, the Listener has locked off Brian Easton's column this week - about the only reason I bother visiting their website. Sigh...

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 1717 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    "How You Too Can Stay in Shape and Keep Your Job in the Current Property Downturn (And what It Means for NCEA)"?

    Or Finlay McDonald's classic "Does My Mortgage Look Fat In This?"

    To be fair, North and South are the real whiners when it comes to education. If I see another "X Part Of Our Educational System Is Teh Suxxorz (And It's All Labour's Fault)" cover, I may be enticed into magazine-burning.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    Also, Russell, your last link (to the Herald) seems to be broken.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Or Finlay McDonald's classic "Does My Mortgage Look Fat In This?"

    Then again, Finlay shouldn't throw stones when he strokes his column weekly in the Sunday Star Times -- aren't we about due for another 'The Dingo-Bank Ate My Lifestyle (And Forget That I Was A Total F**k-Wit To Get So Grossly Over-Extended In The First Place)' sob story? Or are we due another Bebo suicide cult non-story?

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

  • Stephen Judd,

    Unworthy self-link.

    Whatever prosecutions might be secured against the other seven defendants, they do not strike me as the kind of people who would employ the information as "a shopping list for criminals".

    Well, that's probably true, but the next time this happens it might not be high-minded anarchists who get your name and address. And of course, if they share a cell or someone stands over them, they might end up parting with those docs anyway... the point is, that's a red herring. The police asked for a lot, and they got it, and then they had to share it. It's sheer chance whether or not the end-recipients are going to be good citizens when entrusted with the results of a police fishing trip.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    Then again, Finlay shouldn't throw stones when he strokes his column weekly in the Sunday Star Times -- aren't we about due for another 'The Dingo-Bank Ate My Lifestyle (And Forget That I Was A Total F**k-Wit To Get So Grossly Over-Extended In The First Place)' sob story? Or are we due another Bebo suicide cult non-story?

    I wouldn't know, I stay as far away from the SST as humanly possible.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Also, Russell, your last link (to the Herald) seems to be broken.

    Ta. Fixed now.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Danyl Mclauchlan,

    We canceled our Listener subscription this week - Clifton and Easton I can read in the supermarket; does anyone know whats happened to their circulation in the last year or so?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • davidamstalden,

    Everything seems to have been blocked off on the Listener's site now. One can only hope that they've done this from concern at falling circulation numbers.

    New Plymouth • Since Mar 2008 • 45 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Clifton and Easton I can read in \the supermarket; does anyone know whats happened to their circulation in the last year or so?

    Easton you can also read on his website, including the Listener columns as soon as the next issue has come out (and they're seldom so topical you need to read them at once).

    Along the lines of the perfect Listener cover story, there ought to be the perfect PA comments generator, something along the lines of "partner-abusing, coffee-loving rugby celebrity disses The Listener". But I'm sure others can do better.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Zippy Gonzales,

    Yep, not even a preview of Jane Clifton's column on the site. Have deleted my Listener bookmark as the site is only useful as an advertorial now.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 186 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    There is no suggestion that you were in any way related to these events last year, apart from being one of 3000 who traded with someone that was a suspect in this investigation.

    I wonder what they think constitutes a trade? is it a completed trade or a bid? or just a page view? The number seems awfully high for completed trades so I'm guessing it would be bids and if that is so then how is it evidence of anything that the accused are accused of?
    This looks like a case of the prosecution trying to "bury" relevant evidence in a large pile of non information and at the same time compromising the privacy and, indeed, the security of members of the general public. I doubt you would have to look far to see that a law has been breached here and if not why not?
    Do we need to revisit the privacy laws?

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    does anyone know whats happened to their circulation in the last year or so?

    The Audit Bureau of Circulation says total circulation (including freebies) is 65559 -- down 4.4% on a year ago and 5.4% on six months ago.

    It's faring much better than Metro (17% down in a year!) but apparently not as well lately as North & South.

    OTOH, The Listener's readership (which is estimated from the Nielsen media surveys rather than actually counted) is up 8% year-on-year.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    It's faring much better than Metro (17% down in a year!)

    Well, apart from the issue that had a drop dead gawjuss cardie-clad socialite gracing the social pages :), what is the point of difference between Metro and every other glossy lifestyle rag?

    You might have thought Warwick Roger was the biggest phallus in creation, but in it's heyday Metro did have a strong editorial personality and was running beefy - and long - stories with a low fluff count. And I remember when Michael King had two or more pages to review New Zealand pages, rather than paragraphs.

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

  • Steve Barnes,

    So, farewell then The Listener
    You used to be a guide
    to what was on the radio
    which explains your name
    but when television came along
    you could have changed your
    name to the looker but you didn't
    then you stopped listening and
    started to try and tell us stuff
    that was crap so we went away
    and read womans day instead
    cos it was cheaper and more
    informative.

    e.j.Thibb 17 1/2

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • David Cormack,

    there ought to be the perfect PA comments generator

    Tony Veitch prepares Listener Editorial team to be eaten by John Key

    Suburbia, Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 218 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Tony Veitch prepares Listener Editorial team to be eaten by John Key

    Time to bring out the eye-dropper and the hydrochloric acid because that word picture isn't getting out of my head any other way...

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

  • David Cormack,

    Time to bring out the eye-dropper and the hydrochloric acid because that word picture isn't getting out of my head any other way...

    haha my apologies Mr Ranapia :) But if you drew from my statement something unsavoury, well it's all in the eye of the beholder...

    Suburbia, Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 218 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    Listener editor arrested under the Suppression of Terrorism Act.

    ... would certainly give me conflicting feelings.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

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