A Polling

Tomorrow is another election day, off year and strangely meaningless to most of us in this country.  It's time for picking the local leaders we can castigate soundly for the next several years.  Hoorah!  Several Montana websites have joined the party, and picked their candidates.  In case anybody gives a damn, mine are Becker, Rupp, and Jacobson, and, damn, do I hate agreeing with the Chronicle on anything.  So, given the import of the day, I figured it might be the right time for a polling of a different sort, a Montana sort, an online sort.

I've had discussions with a few online friends here of late, and we all agree that something has changed in the Montana online world.  When I became involved with Montana websites several years ago, there were no media sponsored blogs, there were no noticeable LiveJournal websites, no community digs in the 'sphere.  There were maybe a dozen Montana websites total.  When I started my site, a little over 2 years ago, there were maybe 2 dozen websites and we had a pretty close cadre of online personalities in the Big Sky State.  We didn't always agree, but for the most part, we all felt pretty familial.  Things have changed radically.  Many adored voices have gone silent.  Many bloggers/on line journalists have moved out state, as even more have moved in.  At least one Montana website has gained renown for a photo-based meme.  There are now media sponsored websites, and many LiveJournal users.  And the biggest change of all ... there's close to, or over, a hundred of us now.

So, in keeping with the reflective and elective mood of November, I offer the first annual Montana websphere polling.  This is low-tech stuff, with no polling software, no Diebold machines, and no possessive centralization required.  Here's what I propose.  I will offer several categories for voting, with no established candidates.  Voting can be public or anonymous, in comments or by email.  If you wish to email your responses, please use wulfgar.pillages AT  gmail.com.  Posting anonymous comments with your responses is fine, just use a fake email address; (I have your IP address logged so please don't double vote.  And if you're just a dick about it, I won't hesitate to delete your response.)  If you wish to publish your responses at your own website, please do ... just send me an email or comment pointing to the answers you offer.  If you wish to republish the ballot at your site, please do, but kindly let me know any responses that you get at your website, so that I can include those votes in my final tally.  If you wish to add items to the ballot on your site, go right ahead.  I may or may not report them when I finish this thingy up.  And here's the biggy, folks, whether I host this or not, I would like to make this a yearly thing.  I invite you to hustle votes among your readership, but the point is to get us all better read and recognized ... as significant Montanan voices.  Please be as honest and helpful as possible.  And no, you don't have to be a Montanan to vote, but happily indicate if you are, and I will try and let the tally reflect that.

I know this may take a while to spark, if it does at all, so this vote will run until Sunday the 20th, after the Bobcat-Griz dustup for the Big Sky title.  Vote for the top level, and for all categories underneath.  Remember, we are voting on Montana websites.  If you need a crib sheet, there are two excellent blogrolls:  HERE and HERE.  And please, just enjoy this.

1:  Best Montana Political Website (Websites relating or dealing with primarily political content).

    a:  Best Left Leaning Political Website.
    b:  Best Right Leaning Political Website.
    c:  Best Libertarian/Constitutional/Independent Website.
    d:  Most In-depth Political Website.
    c:  Best Political Candidate's Website.

2:  Best Lifestyle Website.

    a:  Most Exemplifies a Montana Lifestyle.
    b:  Best Culture Website.
    c:  Best Pop-Culture Website.

3:  Most Web Gravitas (Best Read) Website.

    a:  Best  Website For Montana News (not an online newspaper, or presentation thereof).
    b:  Best Website For Montana Photos.
    c:  Best Website For Montana Tales and Stories.
    d:  Most Informative Website About Montana And Montana Concerns.

4:  Most Humorous Montana Website.

5:  Best Montana Media Website (specifically dedicated to providing news and information).

    a:  Best Online Newspaper.
    b:  Best Online Media Sponsored Website.
    c:  Best Online Magazine.

6:  Best State Run Website.

    a:  Most Useful State Website.

7:  Most Helpful Montana Website.

8:  Most Historical Montana Website.

9:  Best Montana Community Website.  (Community Websites are those that allow multiple posters or content providers.)

10:  Most Missed Montana Website Not Being Updated Or On Hiatus.

11:  Best Personal Montana Website (Relating to and about the individuals personal life).

12:  Montana Survivor;  Website you'd most like to be voted off the mountains  (try to be nice, here).

13:  And Finally, The Montana Website You Would Choose To Read Everyday.

Bonus polling, just for fun:

I:  Best Montana College Football Team.

II:  Best Montana Highschool Football Team.

III:  Favorite NFL Football Team.

IV:  Best Montana College Basketball Team.

V:  Best Montana Highschool Basketball Team.

VI:  Favorite NBA Basketball Team.

VII:  Best Montana Sports Hero Of All Time.

VIII:  Best Montana Politician of All Time.

There you go; let me have it.  I'll present the results as soon after November 19th as I am able.  Enjoy.

 

 

 

Comments

[Wulfgar]

Just to start things off, my answers:

1: Best Montana Political Website (Websites relating or dealing with primarily political content). Left In the West.

a: Best Left Leaning Political Website. Left In The West
b: Best Right Leaning Political Website. MTPolitics
c: Best Libertarian/Constitutional/Independent Website. Obviously, Dave Budge.
d: Most In-depth Political Website. Left In The West
c: Best Political Candidate's Website. Tester Time

2: Best Lifestyle Website. Karbon Kounty Moos

a: Most Exemplifies a Montana Lifestyle. Thoughts From The Middle Of Nowhere (Sarpy Sam)
b: Best Culture Website. Watermark
c: Best Pop-Culture Website. Better Living Through Blogging

3: Most Web Gravitas (Best Read) Website. City Lights

a: Best Website For Montana News (not an online newspaper, or presentation thereof). New West
b: Best Website For Montana Photos. Merciless.org
c: Best Website For Montana Tales and Stories. Watermark
d: Most Informative Website About Montana And Montana Concerns. New West

4: Most Humorous Montana Website. Without a doubt. A Secular Franciscan Life

5: Best Montana Media Website (specifically dedicated to providing news and information). New West

a: Best Online Newspaper. The Billings Gazette
b: Best Online Media Sponsored Website. City Lights
c: Best Online Magazine. New West

6: Best State Run Website. Discovering Montana (state.mt.us)

a: Most Useful State Website. Discovering Montana, Welcome to Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

7: Most Helpful Montana Website. Montana Road Conditions

8: Most Historical Montana Website. Prairie Marie

9: Best Montana Community Website. (Community Websites are those that allow multiple posters or content providers.) Big Sky Blog

10: Most Missed Montana Website Not Being Updated Or On Hiatus. Gates of the Mountains

11: Best Personal Montana Website (Relating to and about the individuals personal life). Revolving Duck

12: Montana Survivor; Website you'd most like to be voted off the mountains (try to be nice, here). The Viceroy's Fugue State

13: And Finally, The Montana Website You Would Choose To Read Everyday. Left In The West

Bonus polling, just for fun:

I: Best Montana College Football Team. The Carroll College Saints

II: Best Montana Highschool Football Team. The Dillon Beavers

III: Favorite NFL Football Team. The Denver Broncos

IV: Best Montana College Basketball Team. The Montana Lady Griz.

V: Best Montana Highschool Basketball Team. ?

VI: Favorite NBA Basketball Team. The Harlem Globetrotters ... ?

VII: Best Montana Sports Hero Of All Time. Jan Stenerude

VIII: Best Montana Politician of All Time. Mike Mansfield

[SB]

Wow.

This is going to take some thought. Hmm, let me look at that again... OK, I have until the 20th.

It might take that long.

& thanks for the vote(s)!!

[Karen]

Hey thanks, Wulfgar. Lifestyle - hmmm. . . I have to think about that.

[Erox]

Oh damn... had I but known, we could have made a special section at Problem Adults for this (polling and everything), special links section for all the Montana sites...

If not I also wrote a "Survey" script for PHP/MySQL that I used for a local newspaper that we could have used for this.

Good thing I have until the 20th for this, it'll give me a chance to peruse the other Montana blogs, as I enjoy yours and Craigs greatly.

I'll be BACK.....

[Ken]

For Culture: watermark.

(Now I hope this works!!)

KCT