Award Status Pages

by Rainer Klein, Webmaster
Webmaster Central Awards (site closed)
1 May 2001

Print Version

Writing an article about award status pages is a very delicate matter. Due to recent controversial discussions in public forums on the Web, I am fully aware this article may offend some people. Nevertheless, I will talk about the pros and cons of status pages and the reasons for using them. This article, I hope, will help you see status pages from an European (German) point of view.

Types of Status Pages

First, we have award status pages that only show the review status of an award application. They tell you if your site has already been reviewed or not. These kinds of status pages are mostly used by award programs in North American.

Second, there are status pages that mark the non-winners and list the winners with the awards they have received. Sometimes they even include a comment about why an applicant did not receive an award. One of the most prestigious European award programs is currently using this approach.

This type of status page can be found in many German award programs. As a German myself, I think it is a reflection of the German nature. The owners of these programs are not trying to humiliate non-winners; they just want to list everything in a statistically correct manner. In our culture, it shows they have a serious award program.

Third, there are status pages that don't actually list the applicants. They give you the opportunity to look up your status in a database by entering a search term, such as the name of your site, the date you applied for the award, or your e-mail address.

Why Use Them?

There are several valid reasons to use award status pages. The best one is that it allows applicants to check and see if their applications have been received, but this could also be achieved by automatically sending out confirmation e-mails. If you don't have the technical resources available to create these automatic e-mails, then you may have no choice but to use status pages. On the other hand, if you have access to technologies like ASP, PHP or CGI, they may not be necessary.

Another reason for award status pages is to inform applicants about the result of their applications. You can also achieve this by sending an e-mail to each applicant, but this could take a lot of time, especially if you have a successful award program. Listing the review status on a separate page in your site takes less time. It's a fairly easy way to show applicants whether their sites have been reviewed and to give them the results of the review.

If properly done, status pages also show applicants when they will be eligible to apply for an upgrade. If they did not win an award, the pages show them when they will be eligible to apply again.

Personally, I can fully understand these reasons. As a former applicant myself, it was always nice to see the status of my application. It eliminated any questions in my mind about whether my submission had been received and, if properly done, it gave me the results of the review. If my site was not up to the standards of the award program, then I knew that I would have to improve my site before applying again.

Listing Non-Winners

The frequently given reason for listing non-winners is to discourage applicants who see award programs as just another opportunity to increase their ranking in search engines. They are trying to get higher rankings, not awards.

As you may already know, most search engines are using a technology called "Link Popularity" to rank the results when a search has been performed. More links from other sites improve a website's ranking in the search results, which is a good enough reason for many people to apply for your award. To their way of thinking, every link will increase their traffic.

For this reason, listing non-winners is not an effective way to discourage these applicants. They really don't care if they get listed as a non-winner; they just want a link from your site. If you really want to discourage them, then don't link to their websites in your status page. This will eliminate their incentive to apply for your award.

Other Considerations

Personally, I don't apply for awards that are listing non-winners because I don't want my site to be listed as "rejected." Think about this for a moment. Since there are other potential applicants who feel the same way, you will end up with fewer applications if you list the non-winners.

A 5.0 rated program might like the thought of fewer applications, but new award programs need as many as possible. Only the elite group of programs can afford to wish for fewer applications. If you're not among this group, then you will have to review many sites to gain the experience that is necessary to become a member of the group.

As well, award givers that list non-winners are risking their ratings at Award Sites!, or they may not receive one if they apply. I have seen many award programs modify their status pages in order to become eligible for a rating at Award Sites!

The Issue of Ethics

The type of status page that you choose for your site will be determined by your ethical standards. Possible exceptions are a few German award programs, which are intent on being statistically correct. Depending on how it's handled, however, listing non-winners in status pages can be very unethical and demeaning to your applicants.

Award programs that list the review status of applicants should remove these listings after a certain period of time. There is no need to keep them listed forever. Removing a site immediately after you have reviewed it would help to protect the identity of non-winners. If you want to allow more time before removing them, a time frame of one month should be the absolute maximum for keeping them listed in your status page.

Moreover, if your intention is just to inform your applicants about the status of their review, why must you link to their websites? The name of the site and a comment like "reviewed" or "not reviewed" is enough to keep your applicants informed.

Demeaning Applicants

Marking non-winners with symbols or special characters is the most demeaning way to incorporate a status page. Adding negative comments makes it even worse. Try to see it from the award seeker's point of view. Would you like to be showcased as a loser? Would you like someone to publicly say that you can't create a decent website? Of course not! So why do it to someone else?

Award givers who list non-winners should also think about the purpose of awards. Serious award givers try to encourage webmasters to improve their websites, and I must say that applying for awards really has helped me to grow and improve. Being listed on a status page with a remark like "not good enough" or "low quality graphics," on the other hand, will have the opposite effect. It will discourage webmasters. At the very least, it will cause them to think less of awards and award givers.

Remember, we all started out as "beginners." Most of us did not produce a work of art in our first attempt. Nobody sits down in front of a computer and says, "Now let's create a really ugly web page." We all do the best we can. If you really feel the urge to help someone, then send him your thoughts by e-mail. This way, your comments and suggestions will be private and you can discuss whatever seems appropriate at the time.

Protecting Privacy

If technologies such as ASP and PHP are available, you can create a kind of search engine that allows your applicants to look up the result of their applications. This is the best way to protect the identity of non-winners.

If you use this approach, however, the name of the site or the date of the application should not be used as the search term. They do not give applicants enough privacy, for anyone can look up a particular website or search for all the applications on a certain date.

A better way is to use the e-mail address that was entered when the applicant applied for your award. It seems to provide applicants with a higher level of security, and we are currently using this approach in our own award program. We believe it enables us to fulfil the terms of our privacy policy and respect the privacy of our applicants.

Another way to guard against unauthorized access is to e-mail each applicant an automatically generated random password. These unique passwords are the search terms they use to look up information about the status of their applications. This approach will give your applicants the greatest degree of privacy.

Final Words

Before adding any type of status page to your award program, think carefully about the effect it will have on your applicants. The purpose of awards is to encourage webmasters to strive for excellence, so don't use one that discourages them in any way. Properly done, status pages can add value to award programs. If you use one, make sure it's handled in an ethical manner and always protect the privacy of your applicants.