Polls open for Koufax Awards

The voting is now open at Wampum for the Koufax Awards for the best of the lefty blogosphere. Effect Measure is thrilled to be nominated in four categories: Most Deserving of Wider Recognition, Best Single Issue Blog, Best Series and Best Expert.

The bad news is, voting to pick the best of so many great blogs in any of the 16 categories is essentially impossible. Choosing the Best Expert among those wo concentrate in media journalism, public health, economics or dozens of other topics is apples and oranges, to use a highly original analogy. The good news is, it doesn't matter. As the folks at Wampum, who deserve all credit in the almost thankless task of doing these awards say:

From our point of view, the important work of the awards is mostly complete. We view the nominating process and the posting of links to all the nominated blogs, posts, and series as the core of the awards. If the idea is to build community and honor people who have provided free information, enlightenment, and entertainment over an entire year (and it is), that job is mostly done.

The winning and losing part is completely secondary. After all, it is not really possible to determine who is MOST deserving of wider recognition. There is just no metric to apply. It is quite possible to make a large list of lefty bloggers who deserve greater recognition. That we have done. The same analysis applies to the other categories as well.

Congratulations to all those who received nominations. You have been recognized by your readers and peers for all of your great work. Providing the means to express our thanks is the central point of the Koufax Awards. Please try to take the remainder of the process in that spirit. The real winners are the readers, the lefty blogging community, and all nominees. The only losers are those who take the awards too seriously. (Koufax Awards at Wampum)

You can vote for Effect Measure or any of the other exceptional blogs that made the list by sending an email (mail link at Wampum) or by leaving a comment in the appropriate category post. You'll see when you get there. The list of nominees has links so you can see some great stuff and find some new and superior progressive blogs. It's Sunday. Relax. Treat yourselves.

We're not kidding ourselves that we are the best in any of the categories. But as the folks at Wampum say, voting is a way of saying thanks. Since I don't need to thank myself, I'll be voting for other blogs. And while you're over at Wampum, contribute if you can. Five bucks or fifty or five hundred. It is all useful and a tangible token of appreciation for the job they've done helping to build community in the left blogosphere.

You may vote only once in each category. Them's the rules. After a couple of days of voting the list will be whittled down to a half dozen semi-finalists.

Back to blogging.