“Scam” may be too harsh a word. But while the Webby site may disclose the fees for entrants, I think they do an amazing job of keeping that fact hidden from the rest of the world. That part reeks of lameness.

News reports treat the Webbys as a legit awards ceremony, rarely if ever mentioning that it’s essentially the worst kind of popularity contest: only those who can afford it even have a shot.

Some may complain that while other ceremonies like the Oscars may not charge, they suffer via other tactics like jockying and massive promotion.

Obviously, there’s no “pure” awards ceremony. But I’d much rather have the politically-charged vying of the real awards ceremonies than one that involves straight-up entrance fees any day.

The Web has a come a long since having a “cool site of the day” banner in your footer meant anything. It’s time for a legitimate awards ceremony that reflects the democracy, disintermediation, and diversity of the web.

A final note to this year’s Webby awards winners: For $120 (about half the cost of a Webby), I will happily confer upon any one of you the “Best Website of All” Award, and include a nifty logo you can place on your homepage.