To defend the author's position, I would be wary of providing a single ranking because the metrics are going to be different for different needs. Say you're ran

To defend the author's position, I would be wary of providing a single ranking because the metrics are going to be different for different needs. Say you're ranking different lodging options at a holiday destination. You can come up with a single ranking for all the options, whether they are hotels, hostels, bed & breakfast inns. But it would be meaningless except to weed out the really bad options unless you knew what the preferences would be in terms of price, location, atmosphere, decor, etc. Such an index could still be useful, perhaps, but I see where the author is coming from.