The Lowdown is a New Zealand website developed by the New Zealand Ministry of Health's National Depression Initiative (NDI). The website launched on 3 December 2007.
Mission
The Lowdown aims to help young New Zealanders understand and recover from depression. It does this through online support services and testimonials from New Zealand celebrities.
Features
Navigators
The user can choose from one of four celebrity navigators who tell users how to use the website. There is also a "go alone" option.
Information and Help
The website has depression-related fact sheets and contact lists, as well as online self-tests.
Stories
The Lowdown has video of New Zealand celebrities and musicians talking about how they or someone they know made it through depression. Users can also add their own stories by submitting video or text.
Chat
Users can chat together in a style similar to a bulletin board.
Multimedia
Users can listen to streaming songs from contributing musicians.
Interface
The website uses flash built on ActionScript 3. It uses the Sandy 3D engine.
List of celebrities contributing to The Lowdown
Musicians
| Name | Band |
|---|---|
| Boh Runga | Stellar* |
| P-Money | DJ |
| Scribe | Rapper |
| Dave Gibson | Elemeno P |
| Brad Carter | Steriogram |
| Young Sid | Rapper |
| Awa and Junior | Nesian Mystik |
| Paul Roper | The Mint Chicks |
| Joel Little | Goodnight Nurse |
| Gareth Stake & Angelo Munro | The Bleeders |
| Jason Kerrison | Opshop |
| Julia Deans | Fur Patrol |
| Tau Manukia | Spacifix |
| Tim Arnold | Pluto |
| Francis Kora | Kora |
| Sam & Jessie Smith | Streetwise Scarlet |
| Andrew Morrison | False Start |
| Jon Austin | 48 May |
| Victoria Girling-Butcher | Lucid 3 |
| Ben Read | 8 Foot Sativa |
| Savage | Deceptikonz |
TV and Radio
| Name | Occupation |
|---|---|
| Aidee Walker | Outrageous Fortune Actress |
| Antonia Prebble | Outrageous Fortune Actress |
| Nisha Madhan | Shortland Street Actress |
| Lee Donoghue | Shortland Street Actor |
| Kimberley Crossman | Shortland Street Actress |
| Jaquie Brown | Television Presenter |
| Sonia Gray | Television Presenter |
| Jane Yee | Television Presenter |
| Phil Bostwick | C4 Presenter |
| Dayna Vawdrey | Studio 2 Presenter |
| Tamati Coffey | Breakfast Presenter |
| Bill & Ben | Pulp Sport Presenters |
| Mike Puru | The Edge DJ |
Other
| Name | Occupation |
|---|---|
| Tofiga Fepulea'i | The Laughing Samoans Member |
| Ma'a Nonu | Ex All Black |
| Lisa Li | Miss Chinese NZ |
| Adrian Hailwood | Fashion Designer |
References
- "CYMRC home". Child and Youth Mortality Review Committee. Retrieved 4 January 2008.
- "Depression site for teens launched". The New Zealand Herald. 6 December 2007. Retrieved 4 January 2008.
- "The Lowdown website - Sandy 3 and lowRa". dev.webbymx.net. Retrieved 4 January 2008.