The Legal Costs Blog - Who reads this rubbish?
Contrary to all logic and common sense, the Legal Costs Blog appears to have acquired a not insignificant readership.
The Solicitors Journal, aimed not just at solicitors but lawyers generally, claims that its website attracts over 34,000 users a month. Insurance Times, aimed at the whole insurance industry, claims over 45,000 users per month. Both websites have excellent and comprehensive content. The Gibbs Wyatt Stone website attracts over 12,000 users per month. The majority of this traffic is attracted to the Legal Costs Blog pages. Gibbs Wyatt Stone are a niche firm operating in a niche area of the law. These figures suggest one of two things. First, it may be that the figures quoted by the Solicitors Journal and Insurance Times are not as impressive as they first appear. Alternatively, the Legal Costs Blog is attracting a surprisingly high readership given the nature of its content. I'll leave readers to make up their own minds as to which of these it is.
It can safely be assumed that a large proportion of the readership are those who work within the English legal costs world. However, it appears that this blog has a wider reach. We have one subscriber from the High Court in Anguilla in the Caribbean. The other week I was contacted by a charming chap from the Czech Republic asking for book recommendations on the subject of legal costs as this was his "hobby" (and I thought I was the only one).
A comment recently added to one of my previous posts concerning the Jackson Costs Review complained that this was "a most biased defendant based blog". Well, yes. That's the point. Unfortunately, the comment was posted anonymously and so we will never know who expressed that view (although I'm sure there are plenty who share it). Strangely, a specialist costs barrister who had recently seen the blog suggested I should consider "making it more overtly for defendants". Goodness knows how some people would react if I did make it more defendant leaning.
On a related topic, it has recently been reported that Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation (whose publications include The Sun and The Times) is set to start charging online customers for news content across all of its websites. The internet has increasingly been viewed as a source of unlimited free information (in theory paid for by advertising). The tide may be starting to turn. You'll be pleased to know that we currently have no plans to start charging for the blog. Remember, you can subscribe to the blog by entering your email address in the box part way down the web page and receive posts straight to your inbox. If you get tired of receiving them, just unsubscribe.
The Solicitors Journal, aimed not just at solicitors but lawyers generally, claims that its website attracts over 34,000 users a month. Insurance Times, aimed at the whole insurance industry, claims over 45,000 users per month. Both websites have excellent and comprehensive content. The Gibbs Wyatt Stone website attracts over 12,000 users per month. The majority of this traffic is attracted to the Legal Costs Blog pages. Gibbs Wyatt Stone are a niche firm operating in a niche area of the law. These figures suggest one of two things. First, it may be that the figures quoted by the Solicitors Journal and Insurance Times are not as impressive as they first appear. Alternatively, the Legal Costs Blog is attracting a surprisingly high readership given the nature of its content. I'll leave readers to make up their own minds as to which of these it is.
It can safely be assumed that a large proportion of the readership are those who work within the English legal costs world. However, it appears that this blog has a wider reach. We have one subscriber from the High Court in Anguilla in the Caribbean. The other week I was contacted by a charming chap from the Czech Republic asking for book recommendations on the subject of legal costs as this was his "hobby" (and I thought I was the only one).
A comment recently added to one of my previous posts concerning the Jackson Costs Review complained that this was "a most biased defendant based blog". Well, yes. That's the point. Unfortunately, the comment was posted anonymously and so we will never know who expressed that view (although I'm sure there are plenty who share it). Strangely, a specialist costs barrister who had recently seen the blog suggested I should consider "making it more overtly for defendants". Goodness knows how some people would react if I did make it more defendant leaning.
On a related topic, it has recently been reported that Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation (whose publications include The Sun and The Times) is set to start charging online customers for news content across all of its websites. The internet has increasingly been viewed as a source of unlimited free information (in theory paid for by advertising). The tide may be starting to turn. You'll be pleased to know that we currently have no plans to start charging for the blog. Remember, you can subscribe to the blog by entering your email address in the box part way down the web page and receive posts straight to your inbox. If you get tired of receiving them, just unsubscribe.Labels: costs draftsmen, Gibbs Wyatt Stone
posted by Simon Gibbs at
5:31 AM
2 Comments:
Yes, it may be Defendant biased ( and with not a little self advertising naturally!!), but I find it provides a useful insight into the Defendant perspective (I have myself undertaken Claimant and Defendant work alike), valuable information which is easy to digest, and makes interesting reading to boot!
Keep it up Mr Gibbs
By
Anonymous, At
12 October, 2009 13:48
I read it, and I am happy not to be anonymous. My claimant clients would be rightly aggrieved if I failed to be on top of what was going on in defendant arena. The fact that it is an open blog rather than a blog that hides behind a password is very much to GWS's credit.
By
Mark Friston, At
13 October, 2009 10:06
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