WEB AWARD FOR 2003

1. “This was the year Macromedia Flash and other graphic techniques really took off. Some sites such as Brisbane Mid-City and Mission Possible showed they could be integrated seamlessly or add fun to a site. Many Flash animations were eye catching first time around, but on subsequent visits one immediately clicked on the 'Skip' button.”

2. Each year I get emails asking what criteria the judges use. I must stress that we are looking at the content as well as the fancy homepage. The contest is not just about websites, but about Rotary websites. When looking at a site I ask myself - would I use this site if I was a member of the club or district? If the answer is 'no' (because it's out of date or has little information), it is a poor site however great it looks.”

3. “Following on from the previous comments, it is getting more difficult to judge sites fairly. Big clubs can afford to use consultants to design impressive web sites. They have many more activities and projects than small clubs so their sites have more depth.””However we think a small club can be judged outstanding for some particular aspect, and the Surrey-Guildford site stands out for its wholehearted commitment to recruiting new members. With only 16 current members I hope they are successful.”

4. “Things we didn't like were the blizzards of advertising from some sites. Spybot or similar software was needed to sweep the machines clean afterwards. A personal irritation was the various drifting tails that attached to your cursor - but the Rotary Club of Brockville got in despite that.”