J. Craig Williams, on his blog May It Please the Court, after noting that "blogging as a phenomenon is reaching epic proportions, asks the question: Are blogs advertising? Williams believes yes. He thinks that "it would be difficult to identify a purely altruistic blog" and thinks that, in the broadest sense of the word, all legal blogging is advertising. He then asks, if blogging is advertising, is the ad "just restricted to that rectangle at the top of this page?"
Post your thoughts on his blog here.
For the opposing view that blogs are not ads, see the post by David Giacalone of f/k/a ethicalEsq here.
I think that a blog, even in your field, doesn’t always constitute an advertisement. If this were so, then any activity undertaken by a lawyer would be an ad. If I’m coaching my son’s Little Leage game, should I be required to wear a jersey that states "This is an Advertisement" since I might bump into someone who might want some legal advice? Now for the argument of what the definision of ad is. Let me know your thoughts.
Kentucky say every blawg post is an ad
Ben Cowgill is fighting for the life of his Legal Ethics Blog