Best of the Web 2008

By Heather Green

Readers Make Their Votes Count

In a world that's topsy turvy, the Web remains stalwartly optimistic. In their voting BW's Best of the Web list, readers did flag SimplyHired, the job site, Paul Kedrosky's Infectious Greed blog, which is closely following Wall Street's meltdown, and FootNoted, which combs through companies' Securities and Exchange Commission filings for info investors might miss.

But for the most part, voters stuck to voting for the video sites, gaming sites and blogging technologies that help them get through the day and stay in touch with family and friends. Newcomers on the list ran the gamut, from SportsFanLive, a new community site that lets you organize the news around your obsessions, to the Microsoft Worldwide Telescope, which lets amateur astronomers explore the cosmos through their computers.

For the companies that made the list, the recognition will be helpful if the Web does go through tough times ahead. Because during rough financial patches, the companies that have name recognition and loyalty (along with, of course, money in the bank and a decent business plan) are the ones most likely to come through on the other side.

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