Recently, I’ve been trying to get a feel for the “Webby Awards” and how they are classified and distributed. This came about mostly out of a desire to see what is current and innovative and to see if I could find any sort of design inspiration for my job. Overall, I cannot say that there are many surprises. The category list seems to grow every year and I’d say that the list has become too long and the distinction between categories has become too blurry. So blurry that it’s becoming less and less of a reference point. If it is safe to say, the Webby Awards seem to be driven by content, hence it’s not a designer’s playground. There are a few surprises, but most of the nominations seem obvious…if not redundant.
Browsing the music category, I landed upon the NPR music site (webby award winner and people’s choice winner) whose content has really evolved over the years. I just went on the site and I am listening live to the Newport Folk Festival (specifically Fleet Foxes) and the sound is crystal clear… NPR was never about bells and whistles; it has always been driven by quality content and I can say as much about their music site (as well as their blogs, which are written by real / dedicated, intelligent bloggers (not like this one)).
So to summarize this article about nothing in particular with a rhetorical question : are the Webby’s really important? They seem to be driven by content, which I suppose is a good thing in the laissez-faire virtual world full of bots, spammers and sex addicts. The Webby’s are perhaps testament to the idea that there is still hope for the virtual age : when newspapers, magazines and books, yes books, disappear, all communication with not automatically turn to gurgles, burps and scribbles. That and I secretly dream of working for a company that wins a Webby …because it looks like one classy party.
Guerilla Marketing : The French do it best
"My flesh is mine ! If, despite all, you want to eat meat, then bite your own ass !"
Found in a book (unreleated to vegetarianism) bought at a book store. Made by “Réseau antispéciste,” or French vegetarian radicals. Just a remark, the French eat a lot more ham than Americans… I once read that ham is the most “toxic” meat because pigs do not sweat (not even through their tongues like dogs…that is why they are often depicted sitting around in mud all day (to cool off)).