2009 is over, and that means one thing: top ten lists. Inspired by Slate’s roundup, we’ve compiled maisonneuve.org’s ten most read stories of 2009, plus our five most read blog posts.

Since gamers love the internet and reading about video games, no less than two video game articles by Chris LaVigne made it into the top ten. Two much-talked-about cover stories, on AIDS and citizen journalism, are in the top three, while the news that Maisonneuve founder Derek Webster was leaving the magazine for Reader’s Digest prompted plenty of discussion in the industry. As for blogs, a debate following the arrest of Roman Polanski led to some heated arguments. Read on for the complete lists.

Most Read Articles

1. Why Video Game Research is Flawed, by Chris LaVigne
Studies that condemn video game violence just don’t understand the medium.

2. The X Factor, by Bruce Livesey
AIDS researchers have struggled to find a cure for the disease for thirty years. What if they have it all wrong?

3. Citizen Uprising, by Ira Basen
The newspaper is dead, but can an upstart citizen media really replace it?

4. Five Great Hip-Hop Albums You’ve Probably Never Heard, by Alessandro Porco
The best of under-the-radar rap.

5. Founder Bids Adieu
Editor Derek Webster leaves Maisonneuve to reinvigorate Canada’s largest magazine.

6. The Gamer’s Syndrome, by Chris LaVigne
Are you too obsessed with video games?

7. The Bitter End, by Fiona Foster
A Montreal web sitcom just might be the funniest show of 2009.

8. Mile End vs. Morality Squad, by Kelly Ebbels
Why are police cracking down on Montreal’s best creative hotspots?

9. Too Many Crazy Pills, by John Semley
Debunking Rachel Marsden's politically incorrect fantasies about the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.

10. Shopping Cart Songs, by Michael Lista and Mark Callanan
Two poets celebrate the "thinginess" of Jason Guriel's new collection, Pure Product.

Most Read Blog Posts

1. Top Five Hip-Hop Albums of 2009, by Alessandro Porco
The year’s best hip-hop.

2. The Troubling Case of Roman Polanski, by Steven W. Beattie
Writers should try to understand, rather than immediately condemn, the controversial director’s crime.

3. Top Ten Singles of the Decade, by Ryan McNutt
The best songs of the naughties.

4. Sympathy for the Devil, by Cate Simpson
Roman Polanski raped a girl. He doesn’t deserve our pity.

5. Horse v. Dirtbike: Why Avatar’s Problems are Beside the Point, by John Semley
James Cameron’s opus isn’t a parable of anything. It’s a movie about special effects.