It is undoubtedly a useful service and made me aware of a potentially unwelcome extension near where I live but perhaps we need to be cautious about the broader implications.
Chiswick is fairly unique in having an online media as its main source of local news. It would obviously make a lot of sense in isolation if the notices which the Council has to publish in the papers were now published on this site and the one in Brentford. They would be more effective and cheaper.
However, in 90%+ of the rest of the country the main local news comes from printed newspapers. If public notices, which are a critical source of revenue for them, could be published on web sites then there would be a massive contraction of the local newspaper industry. This might not be because new independent sites like this one are launched but because the larger newspaper groups accelerate the shift in titles to online only. There would be a massive loss of jobs and a very profound social change would take place. |