Meaningless Readers' Choice Awards

I don't know why newspapers and magazines bother doing this. Oh yeah, because it helps sell ads.

Last week's DMN Neighbors section had the 2006 Readers' Choice Awards. Here's what you get. A handful of your basic "Best of" categories. Some of the winning businesses paid a small fee (I'm sure) for a small photo to be listed alongside the award it won. Beyond that small apparent conflict-of-interest, there's the whole fairness/accuracy thing surround the survey itself. Like the Leader's annaul "Best of" section, there's no discussion from the paper as to how the results are calculated, no in-print accounting of how many votes were cast in each race. How do you know that a "Best Of" category wasn't decided by a 3-2 vote margin?

Anyway, take it or leave it, but as for me, I'll stick with a more reliable source of good information about the "Bests" of Flower Mound -- word-of-mouth from my like-minded neighbors, and your comments posted on this blog! Let's beat them at their own game -- who's got the best pizza in town? I'll tell you my favorite if you tell me yours. Click below to post a comment, and read mine while you're at it.