The Ethics Evolution

by Nikki Savage, Webmistress
42nd Street Awards (site closed)
2 July 2001

Print Version

What comes to mind when you visit an awards program in anticipation of applying for an award and you see a CEM/CEMA badge proudly displayed on the front page? Does it immediately make you feel that the award-giver truly cares about the quality of his website, his award and his award program?

Does it make you feel that you can "trust" this award-giver to review your website in a fair and just manner? Does it make you, as an award-seeker, take extra care to thoroughly read the criteria on this site to ensure that your site truly qualifies for this award? Sure it does. But where did the Code of Ethics get its start?

In the Beginning ...

... there was the Internet, and it was without form and content. Then websites began to spring up all over the place. One day someone got the idea to award the best of these sites, and others followed. Some set up a place for their visitors to vote for the best sites. Others went out and found the sites to award. A few invited people to apply for their awards, and they wrote criteria that had to be met to win them. This was good.

As award sites became more popular, more people wanted one of their own. Soon there were award sites everywhere! Some were good, ethical programs. Others were not. They wrote criteria that they, themselves, could not meet, or they didn't even bother to visit the sites that applied. They gave out their awards to anyone and everyone, just to get to get more visitors to their sites. Sadly, the unethical award sites quickly outnumbered the ethical ones. This was bad.

Eventually, a group of the ethical award-givers decided that something had to be done. They got together to develop a clear, logical way to distinguish the serious award-giver from the promotion-seeker and to create a common bond and purpose for the awards community. Thus ... the Code of Ethics Member Association (CEM/CEMA) was born.

Others Followed

There are two major ethics organizations on the Internet today: CEM/CEMA and APEX. Though separate, these organizations have a shared goal ... to ensure that anyone who applies for an award, and who can meet the criteria for the award, will receive a fair and ethical evaluation of his website. For the purpose of this article, I will be referring to CEM/CEMA, as this is the organization I am most familiar with.

Ethical Practices

The current Code of Ethics statement seen on CEM is public domain. Any award site may display it. But before they can legally display the CEM/CEMA membership badge, their award program(s) must be reviewed and approved by a panel of their peers. The purpose of the review is to ensure that there is nothing unethical about their programs and that they have agreed to abide by the practices set out in Code of Ethics statement. A few examples of these ethical practices include:

The Criteria

Each CEM/CEMA member is responsible for composing his own original criteria. The criteria must be detailed so applicants know what you will or will not award. There's nothing wrong with studying the criteria at other award sites, but you may not use any of it without written permission. Requiring your applicants to sign a guestbook, join a mailing list, or anything like that is considered unethical by CEM/CEMA and is not allowed.

Meeting Your Own Criteria

The resident site of an award program must meet the standards of the awards given. If your own site is 90% links, decorated with cheesy graphics from free sites, and difficult to navigate without using the back button, then you can't include original content, original graphics, and intuitive navigation in your criteria.

No Discrimination

Any site that meets the posted criteria is entitled to a fair evaluation. This does not mean you have to give up the right to choose what you want to award. If you choose to only award sites about aardvarks done on orange backgrounds with purple text, and you clearly state so in your criteria, that's not discrimination. But you cannot refuse to review a site because of race, gender, or any other reason which is globally viewed as unethical or illegal.

Award Graphics

With web space at a premium and load time being very important to a website's success, award graphics must not exceed 200 pixels in height by 200 pixels in width, unless you allow winners to use a text link instead of displaying your award graphic.

No Favoritism

All awards must be given on merit, without considering who the webmaster is and without any hopes of gaining favor. If you cannot fairly evaluate a site due to friendship, or any other reason, you must notify the applicant in writing that you have a conflict of interest. Give him the choice of having another CEM/CEMA member evaluate his site on your behalf.

100 Strong and Still Growing

The membership list at CEM/CEMA has grown from just the handful of award-givers who started the program to over 100 full members, associate members, and members in training. The list is comprised of award-givers at every level, from novice to some of the top award-givers on the Internet. They all have one thing in common — they are serious about their award programs and they want to help others achieve whatever goals they have for their award programs.

It doesn't matter if your award program is rated or unrated. If you're serious about making it the best it can be and a program you can be proud of, you should definitely consider joining CEM/CEMA, or one of the other fine ethics programs.

A Positive Start

When you, yourself, are seeking awards ... you don't want someone who probably hasn't spent five minutes at your site to give you a big pretty award and tell you how wonderful your site is. There are hundreds of awards sites out there that will do this for you. If you're looking for an honest and fair evaluation of your work, the membership lists of these fine ethics organizations is the perfect place to start.

This is not meant to imply that members of ethics organizations are the ONLY award sites which present awards in an honest and fair manner. But if you are new to awards or to award seeking and are not sure which programs you can trust, why not start with the ones that are committed to the ethical practices of these organizations?

An Unbroken Circle

I have had the privilege of serving on the Applications Panel of CEM/CEMA for the past six months. During this time, I have seen many new programs with little or no criteria, oversized award graphics, and other cosmetic or technical problems that prevented them from receiving Member in Training or Full Membership status. They were all given the Panel's critique and suggestions for improvement.

Some programs never made the cut. Not because they didn't receive any help, but because they weren't serious enough about their award programs to make the necessary improvements. They got discouraged and gave up.

The webmasters who were truly serious about their award programs were usually back within 30 days, with improvements made, and they were ultimately granted membership. The ones who became full members were soon helping newbies ... and so it continues, one person helping another person to achieve success. That's what it's all about!

What Does All This Mean?

When you come upon an award site that is proudly displaying the CEM/CEMA badge, the owner has worked hard for the privilege of displaying it. If you can meet or exceed his criteria and win the award, then you have truly earned it and you can be proud of this achievement.

Now ... are you all fired up to go out and start winning some awards for your website? I know I am!