The Chat: our readers' favourite pieces from The Conversation's first ten years

On Wednesday March 24 2021, The Conversation turned 10! To celebrate, we asked our readers to send us their favourite article we’ve published so far.

The most popular pick

The most popular choice, beloved by many of The Conversation’s readers and our editor Misha Ketchell, was Deakin philosopher Patrick Stokes’ 2012 classic ‘No, you’re not entitled to your opinion’.

The runners up

After we posted your top pick on Twitter, Charles Sturt University professor Dale Nimmo asked which other articles were chosen by our audience as their favourites of the decade.

Here is a selection of some of our readers’ top picks and why they loved them.

Cynthia shared her favourite on LinkedIn:

Paul Shafer & Cecille Joan Avila’s timely article, 4 ways COVID-19 has exposed gaps in the US social safety net, is steeped in expertise and policy recommendations relevant to financial security, health equity, housing tenure and overall enhanced quality of life for all.

Jenny emailed us:

My favourite was the visual description that explained the proposed Adani coal mine and the facts and figures. It made it possible for the less gifted such as myself to explain why the information being promulgated generally was not in fact accurate. I kept that article for a very long time.

One of our Instagram-follower shouted out her favourite TC article on Australia’s first known female voter.

Rachel emailed us with this touching reflection:

My fave article or the one which had the biggest impression on me was: Exposure to algae toxin increases the risk of Alzheimer’s-like illnesses. My mum died of sporadic MND in 2015, and one of the things that really was on my mind at the time was WHYYYYYYY. This article helped me understand that environmental factors can play a part, and gave me hope that researchers are working on understanding and preventing MND, as well as just treating it.

Helen emailed us to share her appreciation of our article 3 trauma takes the media gets wrong:

While I’m obviously pleased about the attention the issue of sexual assault is currently receiving, I’m also saddened about how little progress has been made in the past thirty years; and saddened by the type of media coverage addressed in this very important article by Meera Atkinson and Michael Salter. I would like them to know how important I consider their article to be, and how personally valuable I found it.

Andrew Nesbitt shared this piece on weak computer passwords on Twitter:

Joanne emailed us expressing her appreciation for our recent piece on the difficulty of flood victims securing insurance payouts:

A lot of my family and friends have been flooded to varying degrees and some of them will be having to make claims. I particularly appreciate that you deliver to my email inbox and cut to the chase without sensationalism.

Neil Varcoe from Google News Australia shared his love of this article on dingoes in NSW:

We have a small farm in the Capertee Valley three hours from Sydney — surrounded by National Parks. In them, and around them, dingos are hunted on an industrial scale. However, all you have is another opinion, unless you have science. I share this article from Dr Kylie Cairns and other articles regularly, and I’m so grateful for The Conversation for giving me the facts to change opinion.

Dhanya emailed us:

I have enjoyed so many articles over the years starting as a PhD student, then a mum, then a postdoc, homeowner, epidemiologist and most recently Melbournian in lockdown moving house with a new baby. Thank you for keeping information accessible, balanced and bringing science into media so researchers like me have a place to put out what we spend hours trying to understand! Hoping to submit an article in the next year!

And some lovely birthday messages

We’d like to sincerely thank you for your support over the last ten years. We look forward to serving our audience for many decades to come.