Online voting begins today and runs through Dec. 2.
How about an encore?
Reader Raves, the reader survey sponsored by The Republican and MassLive.com, will launch its winter-spring edition today.
It kicked off earlier in April with the summer-fall edition. The survey is intended to be a twice-a-year survey of Western Massachusetts happenings, highlights, hidden gems, and various goings-on.
“Tapping into this broad cross-section of readers opens all of our eyes to some of the best places, businesses and events happening in our region,” said Wayne E. Phaneuf, executive editor of The Republican. “Reader Raves is just one more way that The Republican and MassLive.com share the very best things about Western Massachusetts.”
The voting will be from Oct. 28 through Dec. 2. Results will be tabulated and published in a special section of The Sunday Republican and online at MassLive.com on Jan. 20.
The award ceremony for the winners will be at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke on Jan. 30.
1. Click the name of one of the 5 sections listed below and at ReaderRaves.com. Each section includes 10-30 voting categories.
2. To vote in a category, type your choice in the box and click 'Submit your vote in this category'.
3. You can vote in some categories now, and come back later to vote in others. You can vote in each category once.
• Business
• Sports
• News
Winners will be revealed January 20, 2013 in a special feature pull-out section in The Sunday Republican and on MassLive.com.
In its debut, Reader Raves generated 30,000 page views and 3,000 votes.
Given that it was the first-time around for the survey, French said he was satisfied with that level of interest. This time, he is estimating page views and votes will grow by 50 percent.
Reader Raves has five basic categories: Pioneer Valley Life, Business, News, Entertainment and Sports. With each of these categories, there are numerous subcategories, ranging from best local meteorologist to friendliest police officer.
Given that it is the winter-spring edition, many of the questions have a winter-spring slant to them, such as favorite place to go ice fishing, best hill for sledding, and favorite place to shop for a Valentine’s Day present.
There’s even a question asking which municipality is the best at snow removal, which is a subject fresh on the mind of anyone who has ever wintered in New England.
“We’re only interested in the best,” French cautioned. “If people don’t like their snow removal, they can comment on it elsewhere on MassLive.com.”
Reader Raves differs from other best-of polls in that the participants are not asked to choose from a list of candidates which someone else has assembled. Indeed, there is no list.
All of the questions are open-ended, and people are asked to write in whatever suits their fancy. In some ways that makes it more difficult but in other ways it is an accurate way of gauging people’s likes and dislikes, French said.
“It’s fun, interesting and we love to hear what people have to say,” French said.
French said Reader Raves in its first go-round was considered a success. The response of readers was impressive given that it was brand new and no one knew what Reader Raves was, he added.
This time around, the voting was made more user-friendly, he said.
Last time, once people logged into any of the categories, they only had once shot to vote. Once they logged off of that category, they were unable to log into it again.
French said this year, Ravers can log into any of the categories as many times as they wish. They can be deliberate on their choices without feeling rushed.
“You can only vote once (in each category),” he said. “But it gives people more time to think about what they want to vote.”
Since the first round of winners was announced, French said he has frequently seen area businesses touting their success in the contest. He has seen the Reader Raves logo on various websites, company pamphlets and used in advertising.
He noted that D.J. St. Germain, the Springfield-based company that was voted the best financial advisor, rented a billboard along Interstate 91 to tout the achievement.
Being a winner has always meant being able to celebrate winning – and Reader Raves is no different.
“If you won a category, by all means share your victory with your friends and customers,” French said.