Or look at Google: Larry Page and Sergey Brin came up with their famous search algorithm by applying the rankingmethod used for academic articles (more citations equals more influence) to the sprawl of the Internet.
Still using Rotten Tomatoes' Tomato Meter as a method for ranking the quality of movies, the new site gives streaming and downloadable access to flicks in your UltraViolet locker as well as direct access to copies from iTunes, Vudu, Amazon or Netflix for purchase, rental or subscription viewing.