KEY POINTS:
A website rating the flags of the world according to design aesthetics has picked up coverage from internet bloggers.
Marginal Revolution's Tyler Cowen and Kiwiblog have both recently reviewed the website that has been up since 2000.
Josh Parsons, now a senior lecturer in philosophy at the University of Otago, began the project when he was writing his PhD at the Australian National University.
The winner, according to Mr Parsons' strict judgement criteria is Gambia with its three colours that "Also represents the geography of the country (without being a map)".
New Zealand came in with a pass mark of C and a 55 out of 100, the same as Australia.
"The problem with stars is you get countries like the US with the attitude that if one is good, then 50 must be just right," Mr Parsons said.
He said he did the project while writing because it was nearly completely useless and the finite number of countries meant that his PhD would one day be finished.
Mr Parsons said he still gets death threats occasionally from people who take their flag seriously.
He said he cannot be sure that any of the flags have changed as a direct result of his website but in eight years there have been changes to many of the flags, Afghanistan and Iraq are two examples.
But he said he still has a chance of influencing the New Zealand flag.
The proposed black and white design that includes the stylised silver fern would score better than the current Union Jack and Southern Cross, Mr Parsons said.
"It has the benefit of simplicity but it's going out on a limb just being black and white," he said.
On his website, Mr Parsons sets out some clear criteria for flag designers, including a set of rules. They include no writing, no maps, no pictures and no tricolour - unless you are in Europe.
He also provides an explanation of his rulings by descriptions and coded pictures.
Mr Parsons is scathing of flags inspired by the coloniser - New Zealand take note. The symbol titled Colonial Nonsense has the explanation: "The colonial master in question is nearly always the UK, but that's just because French territories all use the French flag, and US external territories all use something the local military commander has created using Microsoft Frontpage."
He is also scathing of the use of pictures, especially weapons.
Click here to visit Mr Parsons' website.
