It seems like it was just yesterday it started, albeit with a very long and restless night in between, but Nearly Legal is now three years old, which in internet terms is late middle age to bus pass territory.
But, if I wondered how the time was actually spent, the stats tell their own story. That three years is is 651 posts worth (which is one post every 1.6 days). Not that everyone else didn’t chip in – there have been 2,349 comments as well.
And it has been quite a trip. For instance, in June 2007, the blog had 3,462 page views. In May 2008, 9,744. In May 2009, you all dropped by 19,129 times. I don’t have figures for the first month of the blog – June 2006, but as I recall, I was amazed that it was a couple of hundred hits or so.
Of course, back at the start, I was a paralegal and the only one writing. Now, I’m a solicitor and, more importantly for the blog, there are another four people also writing.
This seems like a good point to express my profound thanks to my co-bloggers, who have not only kept the blog going when I couldn’t possibly have managed it alone, but have brought a depth and breadth of knowledge that is far beyond my frolicking in the foothills of housing law. They do it for free, for the love of it, and without seeking other reward, and for this they have my deep and frankly amazed gratitude.
What happens next? Who knows… But we have been recognised. Nearly Legal has been referred to in the Solicitors Journal, Journal of Housing Law and, right on cue for our anniversary, in Legal Action (thanks to Robert Latham). There also are stories of NL posts and comments on Doherty being used in County Courts (granted this was by what must have been a rather hapless LA solicitor) and NL’s report of a case being cited in a petition to the Lords as the only existing public mention. We have put up reports of cases which are not available elsewhere and been the venue for heated specialist debate. All of this astonishes me.
It goes without saying that this is all far more than I even imagined when I first started posting in June 2006. None of it was planned, so as to what happens next, let us wait and see. Some things are afoot…
Thanks, of course, to all readers, those who send in news and cases, and commentors – without wishing to sound unduly schmaltzy, you are why we keep on doing this.
My DEAR NL!
Penblwydd hapus i chi,
Penblwydd hapus i chi,
Penblwydd hapus i NL,
Penblwydd hapus i chi!
May I be the first to wish you a truly TRULY Happy Third Birthday! Your Authority and Fame grows exponentially -and about bloody time too! You have been on an INCREDIBLE Journey, one which I hope long continues!
( you even find the time to comment on the chaos that is my blog so Deep Ta Muchly!)
Happy Birthday,
May I also add that Nearly Legal is accessed by members of the High Court judiciary. Nearly Legal provides the judiciary with a useful litmus test as to whether they have got it right!
Finally, bloggers may be interested to know that Tower Hamlet were granted permission to appeal in Alam (a sucsuccessful challenge to their allocation scheme), but have recently withdrawn their appeal. No doubt, their legal advisers also accessed Nearly Legal’s robust analysis of the case!
Robert
Good work Nearly and CO. Most excellent blog.
Many congratulations on your third birthday. May you go from strength to strength. The future is on the internet …
Congratulations! Keep up the good work (I’m sure you will anyway).
excellent – i learn something interesting or useful or both on every visit.
keep it all going (please!)
Many Happy Returns!
I’m not surprised the hits have gone up and up, this Blog is thoughtful, thorough, fair and exacting.
Keep up the excellent work!
Happy Birthday – a magnificent milestone! RM :-)
Thank you all.
Minx, I never thought that I would find being serenaded in Cymric a pleasure ;-) Not after previous experiences, anyway.
Robert, I (and I’m sure the others too) are very grateful for your support. I am now frankly paralysed by the thought of High Court judges poring over my posts, but the others may be more sanguine.
John and Tessa, your work is always an inspiration – and just occasionally your ideas are subject to theft…
RM, delighted you are back and the new blog is good, looking forward to a long life for it. Plenty of cross over to make things interesting, although probably not on the village greens ;-)
Housed, simply, Michael – it’s what we’re interested in, so we take it seriously. If it is good for others too, then so much the better.