Best of the web in 2008

The first post in my end-of-year wrap ...

Best Australian Blogs:

1. Somebody Think of the Children - Michael Meloni's blog has been the definitive resource on the Australian Government's ridiculous policy decision to introduce mandatory internet filtering.
2. TV Tonight - Maintained by television writer and commentator David Knox, this is essential reading for anyone interested in the Australian media.
3. Skepticlawyer -Skepticlawyer (Helen Dale) and Legal Eagle joined forces in May this year and have regularly delivered intelligent and occasionally provocative posts on law and philosophy.
4. Corporate Engagement - The move to Crikey Blogs gave a new life to Trevor Cook's Corporate Engagement.
5. Stilgherrian - Smart, funny and occasionally outrageious this is one of the most original contributions to the Australian blogosphere.

Best International Blogs:

1. The Fix - This blog from the Washington Post was the best place to go to find news about the US Presidential election this year.
2. TV Newser - This blog has continued without its founding editor, Brian Stelter, but it continues to have all the inside stories on the US television news media.
3. Read Write Web - Although there are many, many tech blogs around, Read Write Web is my favourite largely because it offers more a little more depth of analysis than most of its rivals.
4. Wall Street Journal Law Blog - One of the best blawgs going around, made all the better by the fact it is accessible to lawyers and non-lawyers alike.
5. Thompson on Hollywood - Written by Variety.com deputy editor Anne Thompso, I find myself more in tune with her reactions and thoughts on films than my previous favourite Hollywood bloggers David Poland and Jeff Wells.

Best Podcasts:

1. This American Life - Somehow I only got around to listening to this award-winning radio show in the second half of this year, and even since then I have been hooked.
2. Slate's Cultural Gabfest - As a long time fan of Slate's Political Gabfest, I was very pleased when they launched the Culture Gabfest in April of this year. 
3. Stephen Fry's Podgrams - The podgrams of English actor, comedian and geek Stephen Fry are delightfully witty and insightful.
4. NPR It's All Politics - NPR's Senior Washington Editor Ron Elving and Political Editor Ken Rudin deliver a comprehensive weekly round up of all the latest US political news in a way that is both entertaining and revealing.  I listen to a lot of American political podcasts each week and this was regularly the most engaging and original of them all.
5. Hamish and Andy - After Get This finished in 2007 it took me a while to find a new Australian podcast that made me regularly smile and occasionally laugh out loud, but to my surprise Hamish and Andy did exactly that.

Best Websites:

1. Twitter - In my end-of-year wrap last year I said that I wasn't  sure if I really "got" Twitter.  I am happy to say that not only do I now "get" Twitter, I love it.  Twitter is not just a way to post information (much of which is fairly mundane), it is a wonderful way to connect with other people.  The Twitter community is vibrant and informed, and it has been exciting to engage with that community this year.
2. Real Clear Politics - 2008 was a huge year of US politics and this site was the best way to stay across the latest news and opinion scattered around the internet.
3. Netvibes - Netvibes became my preferred homepage this year.
4. Techeme - The best place to find the latest tech news.
5. Slate - John Dickerson's daily pieces on the US election alone made this online magazine a site worth visiting every day.

Comments

[Michael Meloni]

Thanks for the kind words Peter. I really appreciate it. Here's to a great 2009! Cheers.