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I sent one of my british friends, who is on the exec at my uni, some copies of craccum, as our student mag is shit.

This is was his reaction:

Have you shown craccum to anyone who isnt a "regular" reader, and what has their reaction been?

"It does the job, but I prefer double ply".

Loonie lefties? Considering how totally liberal the mag is I don't know what he's on.

I took one to the states with me for reading when I visited the gfs college. Most of them were rather impressed, but considering it was a rather political issue and the college is an very liberal one, that wasn't a huge achievement. My parents think it's great though, take that how you want.

My family just think it's funny. A researcher friend of ours from Hong Kong/the States pointed out to me that it's really the only left wing NZ magazine in NZ a few years ago, which has left a strongly positive imprint of the magazine on me ever since.

I have personally found the Otago mag Critic to be better on average on the last few years. I put this down to a number of factors:
1) There is a student culture in Otago
2) There's possibly a bit less backhanding down there - i.e. up here, editors are elected, and the ones who get in are invariably those who have contributed in the previous year, and are endorsed by the editors who are leaving. But then again, the editors in Otago are picked by someone, and I guess its OUSA, so maybe it's the same down there.
3) The magazine is properly funded
4) It is also available online, unlike the sorry crock of shit that the Craccum website is.

That said, I thought that Alec and Stian's 2005 Craccum was pretty good. I think it was the best year since Honest Colin's year in 2001 or whatever it was (my flatmate in Sandringham had all the issues from that year so I read them while I was in the flat).

Essentially, everything that OUSA does is better that AUSA does. And this is due mostly to differences in funding, the voluntary thing, and the lack of culture in Auckland.

Not to take anything away from the AUSA staff as I've always found them to be great, dedicated people who do the best they can with what they can; its just that they are in a student association that I find to be haemorraghing out its arsehole compared to the other ones I've dealt with.

I think the 2005 craccum was the best since i've been there (since 2003). No offense ive any previous editors are here, i've enjoyed all of them.

A little less cock would be nice. Understanably, some cock is necessary to provide illustrations when engineers are being hassled.

And to simultaneously provide them with enjoyment (A la enjoying looking at the cock as well as being the symbol of humiliation - the sado-maschocistic pleasures of engineering life)

JPAR, if you read it correctly (what my friend said) you'll find that he is saying that the "loonie lefties" would never allow such a magazine at Birmingham Uni.

Compared to our newspaper, craccum is awesome. I don't know anything about Otago's mag, but I think that craccum would rate well above other english student publications.
How is Craccum funded? money from AUSA or advertising?

My mum thinks Craccum is 'absolutely bloody disgusting, smutty filth'.
She found mine, my dirty little stash of them, all wrapped in brown paper and....
yeah/
I know a 12 year old who has informed me that it is 'shitty. shit.'
and many people who find it 'f****** entertaining', or words to that effect.

You have an american gf?

I think the way AUSA does it is better.

Dont let Nick see you saying that, if you actually checked it recently you would see that all of last years issuses are now online. This must have taken Nick quite a bit of time, not to mention the countless other jobs he has to do.
But I agree Critics site is pretty damn badass.

Hurrah another Honest COlins year fan. It was 2002, my first year.

As for me, during my first year after I got back from Canada I routinely sent issues back to my friends there. They loved it and could not believe how over the top offensive it was.

Craccum is only one of two student magazines in the world where the Editor is elected. I think thats great.

Honest colins year sucked. End of story. His writing in the previous year was good but he was a terrible editor. Causes more damn to the magazine than any reader realised.

As for the Critic web site... I am guessing you've never checked your bandwidth whilst browsing there... try it on a dial up connection and suddenly it isnt so great...

which is the other student magazine?

the editors of redbrick (at brum) are "elected" by anyone who shows up to a small meeting.

heh... Redbrick... Loved that mag. They used to have some very very good writers in my days at Brum.

I beleive the other mag is one at Berkley

Redbrick is possibly the dullest piece of anything i've ever read.
It is now useful for two things:
1. crosswords during dull lectures.
2. soaking up leaks in shitty student kitchens/bathrooms.

I am going to try and change this. First step is to email the president and VPIA about a cross camous ballot for the editor...