I have a confession to make. Cameron Slater and Whale Oil is where I drew inspiration back in 2011 to form View of Auckland now Talking Auckland. It was not the attack style he would be known in infamy prior to the election that drew the inspiration to form my own blog, but the content, moderation policy, and simple Blogging 101s to get the thing going and where it is today.

Today the Blog sits in the top 40 and continues to grow at a speed that does not bother me. Over the three years I have tested and trialled different aspects before settling down to the style that the blog is now.
Emails, feedback, and the odd post forming discussion are becoming more regular while the blog is recognised as a credible independent source on that boring Local Government stuff Slater keeps pointing out to me.

I agree with John on several points he has made. Unlike most of the Centre Left blogs you did have pretty much free reign in the comments department providing (through more recent times) they are civil.

Some of the greater (and more intelligent) debates especially around planning and climate change have been over at Whale Oil.

However, if I am being honest with myself now times have changed and circumstances present themselves in all sorts of ways not seen.
True Whale Oil is still number one but his presence and Empire seem to be on the diminishing side just as Judith Collins is.

Who knows what the future holds for Slater but to not acknowledge what he has provided (okay good bad and down right feral) would be me being very dishonest with myself especially if he did provide inspiration for my own blog.

Slater might go through a second period and his Empire another shot at peak power and influence. Or it could diminish itself to history like the great Roman Empire. This we will see in time own Slater’s own terms.