Bearclover.net "El Capitan" Award

Main El Cap Award Page - Criteria - Other important Criteria - Award Graphics - Apply for Award - Ratings System - Ethics - Winners/ Stats

Please note: Awards have been discontinued until further notice!

The El Capitan Award: FAQs

Why didn't I get an award? - Who are you, anyway? - Why did you start this Award Program?

After getting a number of applications, I thought I'd add some more information about how I judge these awards. This page is not "necessary" reading, but it might answer some common questions or concerns.

I think my site is pretty good - why didn't I get any award?

I'll be honest - some of the sites I've had to reject are quite good. But for some reason or other, they didn't fully comply with all my criteria. I try my best to adhere to my own stated criteria when judging for the El Capitan Awards. (I may sometimes miss a detail, but it won't be for lack of trying!) This means I sometimes have to overlook some pretty nice sites. So, if you don't get an award, don't think it's because I thought your site was bad. I probably didn't think that at all.

For instance, as I state in my criteria pages, your site has to have at least 6 pages of unique content. I've seen some very nicely put together sites that just fell short of that. I wanted to give the site an award - I really did. But my hands were tied. No six pages. No award.

I recently disqualified a site because it consistently had one graphic that was not loading. An excellent site - but I had to disqualify it. It distresses me to have to turn away good sites like this, but I am trying my best to be fair and consistent. I want to emphasize this again - I turn away excellent sites sometimes, for technical reasons.

However, I did set up the Half Dome Award to honor sites that just "delighted" me for some particular reason. Not all Half Dome winners' sites comply with all of my my El Capitan criteria, though they will have to have something special to recommend them. The Half Dome Award is not given points like the El Capitan Award. I give out the Half Dome Award at my discretion, you cannot directly apply for it.

Who are you, anyway? What makes you think you're qualified to judge web sites and give awards?

I'm just some yahoo sitting behind a computer screen. Just a person. That's what many award givers are, if you hadn't realized. We are giving out awards as a form of "critique", or a "pat on the back". It's a nice thing to do. It can be helpful and beneficial to the award seekers. They get some feedback on their site - from an objective stranger who has some experience with web design and web creation. That's all I'm doing here. Giving awards, ("feedback") based on my my opinions and values.

So - I am what you see here. I can do what you see here. I have been making web pages for a few years now. I am self-taught. But, I do have a strong art/design background, since I am an artist. But I will repeat - I'm just an ordinary person. If you don't like my web design, my writing, or the content of my site - then please don't apply for this award! My good opinion would mean nothing to you. If you don't like what I write, or how I design a site - why would you respect my opinion about your site?

I also have had a strong philosophy about web pages, ever since I started creating them. I feel that web pages should be about something that will be of interest to the public. A topic that someone would search for in a search engine. They have to have unique content - not just personal stuff that no one outside of the author's family will care about. (Not that there is anything bad about a "friends/family" site, but just don't expect anyone outside your social circle to want to read it!) Therefore, I stress: this is a Content Award. I don't give out points for content liberally. They have to be earned!

Why did you start this awards program?

I created this awards program to reward sites that focus on content. As you will see on my criteria pages, I do have fairly decent standards for design. But, I've set up my points rating system in a way so that even a "plain" (or even not-so-attractive) web site can win an award, (if they earn enough Content points). I just feel that content is most important thing, and I wanted this award to reflect that sentiment!

Being a glutton for punishment (I guess!) I have even started another (more modest) awards program on my EarthLink site. It is a nice little awards program. In some ways, it is a little more "newbie friendly" and somewhat less exacting than this awards program. If you think you have a nice site, but suspect it is not quite ready to qualify for this award, try my other awards program instead. However, make no mistake - I do not offer any "throwaway" or "giveaway" awards on either of my awards programs. All awards I give out must be earned!

Main El Cap Award Page - Criteria - Other important Criterion - Award Graphics - Apply for Award - Ratings System - Ethics - Winners/ Stats