Stuart Campbell of the formerly pro-independence site Wings Over Scotland (those were the days, eh?) has stayed off the subject of opinion polling for a little while, hence there hasn't been any need for a recent Wings-Watch update to correct his regular factual inaccuracies. However, I think the time has now come for a little round-up of some of his other...well, let's euphemistically call them "excesses".
Firstly, I was astounded to see him approvingly retweeting two tweets that pretty unambiguously call for prisoners in America to be put to death.
Yeah, let's make sure "tactics" don't prevent the state from killing people, right? Heaven forbid that the killing process should be impeded by "delays".
As you know, there is a degree of overlap between Campbell's views on the gender identity issue and my own, but he's become so totally consumed by the issue that I'm not sure he even notices anymore when it leads him to show his true colours on other subjects. It may not be entirely a coincidence that he ended a blogpost yesterday by saying he wants the former leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Kezia Dugdale (who coincidentally defeated him in court on a defamation case and who he's had an unhinged personal vendetta against ever since) to "f*** off and die down a well". It's not clear whether or not this would also be a form of capital punishment. And there may be a bit of a recurring theme here, because only a few months ago he used a blogpost to describe an individual as "mercifully deceased".
Could I just say something at this point to members of my own party, including senior members. I know many of you are admirers of Campbell - I find that inexplicable given his disgraceful behaviour in recent years, but I don't doubt your sincerity. However, I'd gently suggest that there needs to be a bit of thought about the unqualified public adulation that goes on, because if Alba starts to look like a de facto Wings Party (and speaking personally I would never have joined in a million years if I had thought that was the likely destination), there will be a heavy price to pay. The reputation of the party will be severely damaged by association. Even for a small party that is still trying to build its profile and thus doesn't run away from controversy in the way a larger party might, I'm not sure that's a price worth paying.
Yesterday was the day that Campbell seems to live for, because it was the day each month when his most favourite wildly inaccurate "traffic comparison site" updates its figures. I was a bit puzzled that we didn't see the seventy-ninth appearance of his customary excited blogpost declaring his own site to be the only pro-indy site in the universe that anyone ever reads. It usually appears within literally minutes of the SimilarWeb update. However, I swiftly solved the mystery - it turns out that Campbell did his monthly gloat on Twitter instead.
I actually burst out laughing yesterday when I saw SimilarWeb's figures for Scot Goes Pop, which seem to be becoming more and more divorced from reality with each passing month. Here from the Blogger platform is a graph of the real trend of traffic to this blog during 2022. As you can see, traffic was higher in November and December than at any previous time in the year, leaving aside a couple of brief spikes caused by individual posts going viral. (The graph is based on page views, which is a bit of a crude measure, but nevertheless it gives a decent guide to the trend.) This is exactly what you'd expect, because I was posting on a daily basis during most of November and December, and I was covering a lot of dramatic polls.
So who are these eleven to fifty reclusive "employees of Wings Over Scotland"? I mean, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they must definitely exist, because Campbell assures us that SimilarWeb's estimates are 100% accurate and reliable. Does anyone know their names? What their job titles and duties are? What is their salary level? Have they ever been interviewed?
And annual revenues of between two million and five million US dollars. Gosh, isn't Stu doing well for himself these days? Almost a bit of a mystery that a millionaire like him would still need to fundraise, but I dare say there must be some sort of logical explanation.
Oh, and he seems to be based in Glasgow, as opposed to somewhere like, let's say, Bath. That must be completely true as well, because SimilarWeb are of course right about everything. Strange that Campbell has kept up the Bath fib all these years, but ours not to reason why and all that.
Back in the real world, why are SimilarWeb getting it so hopelessly wrong? They appear to rely on a panel system, which probably works well enough for extremely large sites like the BBC and the Daily Mail, but for smaller sites like Wings Over Scotland and Scot Goes Pop it's bound to lead to massive inaccuracies, because one or two panellists randomly visiting or not visiting in any given month could be extrapolated to count as literally thousands of people. The estimates are also for visits as opposed to visitors, which slants the results for a site such as Wings that functions like a chat forum, with the same people constantly going back to check if there have been more comments posted. And as for why SimilarWeb are so utterly convinced that Campbell is a multi-millionaire with up to several dozen paid minions, well, answers on a postcard, folks.
That comment about Dugdale should have been the end of the road for Wings. It won't be, because his fans will always give him a free pass, but in any rational world it would have been.
ReplyDeletegreat post man, more please
ReplyDeleteCampbell has missed his true vocation. What he really longs to be is Albert Pierrepoint.
ReplyDeleteMore like Moriarty the absolutely brilliant but deranged nemesis of Sherlock Holmes
DeleteFor me he's the Killer Kangaroo from the Twix ads.
DeleteDon't be too hard on the "Reverend" for his insane vendetta against K Dugdale. It actually serves a very useful function, because it forces him to occasionally take a break from his anti-independence output and train his fire on a unionist.
ReplyDeleteCorrect. Campbell is a unionist blogger
DeleteLOL. If RevStu had even one employee, he'd be hauled before an employment tribunal every week.
ReplyDeleteThe guy needs his head examined..
ReplyDeleteJames, please be aware that these WingsWatch posts are greatly appreciated and we need you to continue with them. If you weren't doing them, someone else would have to. Stuart Campbell's jealousy knows no bounds, hence the pile-on he initiates every time you post like this, but don't be deterred. Great work.
ReplyDeleteI'm fairly sure Mr Campbell once claimed to oppose the death penalty (albeit many years ago), but I think you're right, those retweets do look "approving". From what we know of his views on trans rights, it would be impossible to interpret them as disapproving. The death penalty is objectionable for him until such time as the condemned prisoner is trans, and then suddenly he changes his tune.
ReplyDeleteSimilar-Web does look like a bit of a joke site. Campbell's reliance on it for his credibility is entirely apt.
ReplyDeleteSimilarWeb is a con. It doesn't rig its results as far as one can tell, but it does use what is little more than guesswork. Often the gap between the guesses and reality is laughably wide, as demonstrated by the revenue/employees claims.
DeleteThe point, of course, is that we KNOW Wings doesn't generate revenue in the millions, and we KNOW he doesn't have paid staff. (Just as well, because he'd be the boss from hell.) Similar Web have presumably derived their inaccurate claims about revenues and employees from their traffic estimates. This almost certainly means their traffic estimates for Wings are also VAST overestimates.
DeleteBri - it Ãs clear that SimilarWeb info lacks credibility but surely Cairnstoons does get paid for his excellent cartoons.
DeleteThat'll be a freelance arrangement, though, not employer/employee.
DeletePeople believe what they want to hear that fits their own agenda
ReplyDeleteHate has always been a popular emotion to invest in, sell and generate income from, America is full of such web sites
When all you are is hate, like Campbell you might as well make money from it, and in the past he was quite successful at it until he went too far for most civilized folk and was dumped, so now he searches out the uncivilized
That's 100% right, a few years ago he would never have dared finish a post with the hate-ridden comment about Dugdale. His target audience has changed, and not for the better.
DeleteJames. I've always admired the quality of your poll commentary. But since the introduction of wingswatch, the content of Scotland goes Pop has become much richer and more rounded. Thankyou for all that you do.
ReplyDeleteSeconded
DeleteAs far as I am aware most hosting firms provide their own analytic tools including log files, IP addresses, page views etc. so there should be no problem in gaining actual numbers of unique visitors. I believe the Rev has a software background so he would know the truth of the figures and the strength and veracity of sites such as SimilarWeb
ReplyDeleteNail on the head. Indeed he would. That's why it's so suspicious that he is constantly boasting about the SimilarWeb guesswork and using it to belittle other bloggers, but very rarely publishes any of the real data he has access to.
DeleteI've increasingly felt for a while now that there's scope for more pro-indy-but-SNP-sceptical blogs that aren't manifestly hysterical about the gender stuff. That goes beyond just Wings.
ReplyDeleteIt's not an especially good law and the SNP's somewhat belligerent prioritisation of it over independence is bemusing, to say the least, but equally some of the blog commentary I've read over it has been highly off-putting, to say the least (not this blog I hasten to add). There are ways of making points which may be valid, without resorting to certain inappropriate tropes and language.
James, I think there is nothing wrong with peer reviews of other bloggers output. However, you seem to have found an extensive fan club of anonymous posters who write very little of interest other than they hate Campbell whilst at the same time criticising his hateful blogs. How many of these anonymous posters had anything to say about what I think is the more important of your two most recent articles - namely the one about the backtracking of SNP politicians on the de facto referendum - probably none of them.
ReplyDeleteWith all due respect, I'm not going to apologise for having "found an extensive fan club"!
DeleteJames, with all due respect I never asked you to apologise and I don't think you have any reason to apologise.
DeleteAnonymous? Is “Independence” even your true first name, Mr. Scotland?
DeleteAnonymous I have been trolled by a lot better trolls than you. Is that the best you can come up with! 🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕Just for you. I’m guessing you have become accustomed to carrots.
DeleteThank you so much James. For the last year or so, I've felt alone in the wilderness.
ReplyDeleteWhy? Because I came across this
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jim-Jones
(Please scroll down to lines 18 and 19)
Of course it's just a coincidence isn't it
Nevertheless I resigned from Alba immediately
Nevertheless
In reference to your concern about Alba becoming a Wings party in all but name, James, that's something that worries me too. I was at the inaugural Alba conference in September '21, and I was stunned by what I can only describe as the ecstatic audience reaction to Alex Salmond mentioning that RevStu would be editing Robin McAlpine's Wee Alba Book. It was, for a moment, like being at a Christian revivalist meeting, and it felt unacceptable to react in the "wrong" way. I'd go so far as to say that memory haunts me.
ReplyDeleteIn a similar vein, although it does not haunt me, I remember the crowd who enveloped Sturgeon at the end of The Nationals event in George sq, Glasgow in Nov 19 all wanting a selfie with Sturgeon. The vast majority being women. At the time I thought she is a politician not Beyonce and it seemed inappropriate to me.
DeleteYour concern is correct and well founded, Alba is Trump style engineered populism, Nicola Sturgeon is popular, there's a difference
DeleteAlba - difficult to see how Alba is populism as the party ain't very popular - as Sturgeonites keep saying - 2%.
DeleteOutstanding, James.
ReplyDeleteCampbell has just been suspended from Twitter yet again. I wonder what sort of Righteous Wrath he will unleash as revenge this time? He does seem to take these little setbacks AWFULLY WELL.
ReplyDeleteWell, the verdict of Wings reader George Ferguson is already in. As a result of the Twitter suspension being restored, he says "I have moved the lever from no violence to neutral".
DeleteJesus Christ, these people are absolute nutters. Both Campbell and his idiot cheerleaders have to take direct responsibility for this. If you normalise calling for people to be killed, or celebrating their deaths, don't be surprised if impressionable people start thinking violence might be OK. These people are no friends of the independence cause.
Anonymous I thought I would check out what you posted.
Delete1. Campbell's twitter account is still there. Not being a twitter user I guess it is possible it has been removed and restored in a very short timescale but that does seem ridiculous.
2. The poster Ferguson does not advocate violence in his post - misrepresentation is not a good look.
In which case you look absolutely appalling, pal, because I've quoted his actual words and everyone can see for themselves what they mean. And yes, Campbell's Twitter account was suspended and reinstated within the space of an hour or two. If you're implying I'm lying about that, you really are making yourself look daft because dozens of people commented on what happened.
DeleteJames, congratulations on another forensic, impressively measured take-down of an individual (Campbell) who has sadly succumbed to hate and unionism. I see Scot Goes Pop is fifteen years old this year. I look forward (in hope!) to many more years of quality analysis. Many thanks.
ReplyDeleteWell said. I often think James Kelly is the only grown-up left in the room.
DeleteGood evening to you, Stuart. Amazingly I can always tell when I encounter your attempted comments in the moderation queue, even though you bravely never put your name to them these days. It must be your charming *manner* that gives you away, or something.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on attempting to post a follow-up without using the C-word. Evidently you're maturing (well, a bit). By the way, what's the point of sticking with the anonymous option for a comment in which you confirm your identity? Each to their own, I suppose. Sleep well, hun.
ReplyDeleteMust admit I'm bemused by the Wings apologists who keep lecturing James on Twitter about how he should "stop bickering" with Campbell and "criticise unionists instead". Er, guys, Campbell is a unionist! I don't know what more the guy has to do to convince you, short of standing as the Tory candidate for Bath. If you want James to spend his time criticising unionists, you should be delighted he's doing exactly what you want.
ReplyDeleteIf this had happened a few years ago, when Campbell was still putting out the occasional pro-independence article, you might have had a point. But he's well and truly moved on from being a Yesser. He's mostly a "feminist activist" these days. (Don't chortle, it's unkind.)
People who berate nuSNP for pretending to deliver independence with fake defacto referenda pledges at OBVIOUSLY the wrong election which are designed solely to get jobs for the boys for the next 5 years and to pretend to the yes movement they are doing something are REAL INDEPENDENCE SUPPORTERS not nawbags or thickos like you.
DeleteWell, go on, then. Link me to Campbell's most recent pro-independence article. Has there been one this decade? Doubt it.
DeleteTotally agree, Stephen, it's like RevStu's followers are in a collective trance. It doesn't matter how much damage he does, quite intentionally, to the independence campaign. It doesn't matter that he spends his entire waking existence attacking Yes parties and politicians, and not Brit Nat parties and politicians. They're still utterly convinced that he's somehow, Christ alone knows how, working in favour of the independence cause by some incredibly convoluted and contradictory means. It's a rather fascinating psychological phenomenon in many ways.
DeleteVery true. It’s a sad sight to behold. And entirely avoidable, if different decisions had been made at the top.
DeleteI’m critical of Nicola’s piss poor management of the Yes movement in recent years, too. The above mentioned George Square rally a lot of us were at—James and Random Tottie too—was a lonely, isolated instance of Nicola connecting or even being seen in public with the movement. That should have been a reset. That should have been a turn. But no, her real people are her inner coterie of advisers whose commitment to independence is as shaky at times as certain writers from the Bath.
Nicola’s popularity when she took over in 2014 surprised me. She was fast growing into the universally respected leader of our nation in waiting. That’s when she started failing us, as hindsight makes quite clear. She changed a lot in character and persona. And she’ll need to again to ever lead us all on the hard campaign to independence.
Meanwhile, here’s a trans squirrel…
A telling chart from the New Statesman:
ReplyDeletehttps://lh6.googleusercontent.com/oIirBL_aHS3OePIXy856Bx34MCFA43BwgatiZgxoCSZxUawgNw2cEylQqjgkIZds7h88WddI16cZndv6Zj4nSUoXRWrn4X77tNdQODFELCCmaN71tMnQCdQmFpvpKryrAVSFkPfeQYmFWalbRDvkcOMcy1BnOw34s07SbFXdB7t7U6_M8pSokVSqqgzEVHehDE5vDo4
Leadership polling is highly predictive in UK general elections. Starmer falls far short of his party’s current lead.
Naturally, they write it up with soothing bollocks for their labour supporting readership, but the numbers speak louder.
https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2023/01/labour-win-next-general-election
I wonder what questions 'Scotland in Dungeon' asked to get their poll result?
ReplyDeleteJames, thank you for your continued bravery in taking on the Campbell cult. It must be tempting to stop given the abuse and confected mockery you have to endure...but please don't stop.
ReplyDelete