This is the 2,000th Portsmouth Point blog article*.
Designed by PGS pupil, Dan Rollins, Portsmouth Point blog was first launched on 7th February 2012, with an article on the Greek philosopher, Thales by Julia Alsop. In that first month, we posted a modest total of 7 articles, including some incisive music reviews by George Neame (The Ting Tings, Band of Skulls and Emeli Sande).
Within just a few weeks, the number of editors had grown exponentially; in March, we published 45 articles, on everything from the crisis in Syria, Parliament's "cash for access" scandal and the 2012 Budget to a meditation on turning seventeen, a debate over gay marriage, a review of PGS' production of 'The Arsonists' and an investigation of "hacktivism", as well as film reviews and music reviews.
Since then, we have continued to publish articles almost every day, contributed by pupils, staff and even OPs and parents. Four years and five months after our launch, the blog continues to pride itself on providing pupils with a voice - to share opinions, interests and enthusiasms - and on encouraging intellectual and cultural enquiry and independence.
Just over the past two weeks, the EU referendum, probably the most significant political event to have taken place in the lifetimes of pupils and staff alike, has led to a host of articles, before and after the vote - on both sides of the argument. On the day before the referendum, the blog received nearly 1,000 page views in just one day (a record) - reflecting both the intensity of interest and the quality of the writing by blog contributors.
Many thanks to all of our editors and contributors over the years, to our loyal readers and to all Friends of Portsmouth Point.
Here are the Top Ten Most Viewed Articles written by pupils over the past four years (in reverse order).
**Please note that this post has been slightly edited since the earlier version to reflect accurate page-view data.
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| Current editors, 2015-16 |
Designed by PGS pupil, Dan Rollins, Portsmouth Point blog was first launched on 7th February 2012, with an article on the Greek philosopher, Thales by Julia Alsop. In that first month, we posted a modest total of 7 articles, including some incisive music reviews by George Neame (The Ting Tings, Band of Skulls and Emeli Sande).
Within just a few weeks, the number of editors had grown exponentially; in March, we published 45 articles, on everything from the crisis in Syria, Parliament's "cash for access" scandal and the 2012 Budget to a meditation on turning seventeen, a debate over gay marriage, a review of PGS' production of 'The Arsonists' and an investigation of "hacktivism", as well as film reviews and music reviews.
Since then, we have continued to publish articles almost every day, contributed by pupils, staff and even OPs and parents. Four years and five months after our launch, the blog continues to pride itself on providing pupils with a voice - to share opinions, interests and enthusiasms - and on encouraging intellectual and cultural enquiry and independence.
Just over the past two weeks, the EU referendum, probably the most significant political event to have taken place in the lifetimes of pupils and staff alike, has led to a host of articles, before and after the vote - on both sides of the argument. On the day before the referendum, the blog received nearly 1,000 page views in just one day (a record) - reflecting both the intensity of interest and the quality of the writing by blog contributors.
Many thanks to all of our editors and contributors over the years, to our loyal readers and to all Friends of Portsmouth Point.
Here are the Top Ten Most Viewed Articles written by pupils over the past four years (in reverse order).
2. Coming Out
by Will Wallace (on leaving the Conservative Party)
1. Southsea's
Top Five Breakfast Spots by Melissa Smith
Here are the Top Ten Most Viewed Articles by staff over the past four years (in reverse order):
* by "blog article" we mean an article written exclusively for the blog (as opposed to an article that has already been published in the printed magazine before being posted on the blog). Here are the Top Ten Most Viewed Articles by staff over the past four years (in reverse order):
**Please note that this post has been slightly edited since the earlier version to reflect accurate page-view data.
"Southsea's Top Five Breakfast Spots" - The Buzzfeedisation/Clickbaitisation of Portsmouth point?? Where does the Adsense revenue go? These questions need answering! ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you for your concern, Will. I would note that the Breakfast Spot piece does feature beautifully written reviews, a sociological analysis of the role of breakfast and a cleverly crafted and deeply felt sonnet - so I would defend it on the grounds of literary merit as well as popularity. Don't worry: Portsmouth Point will continue its tradition of public service unsullied by commercial considerations.
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