Calling All Webmasters, Animators, and Freelancers to join Cebu Web Awards 2006

[vern]

---

I still don't know why people should pay to get into a contest they have to work for. After all ... a contest is a contest, no one has to pay entry fees into the olympics.

[celtic_predator]

@vern
Good Point. Couldn't agree more.

By the way, some of the usual winners are Flash sites. Could this be the end of html in competitions? Walay bawt ang design compared to a flash site. I remembered only SWU and CebuCity site is html.

[$dbpasswd]

Honestly, I've already gotten over the entry payment issue, concluding that it is some sort of donation to the Cebu City government for the event expenses.

@celtic_predator:
The judges may have been from the business sector because the event coincides with Cebu Business Month and the Intourpreneur Exhibit, which are all about business.

They may have judged from an advertising point of view and you know how Flash web sites excel in this area. They would have little knowledge about technical advantages of well-optimized pure html web sites that load faster and are search engine friendly, not to mention accessibility to visually-impaired users, which are perhaps more effective in reaching customers seeking fast information rather than those who come because they were referred by award sites. Customers more often hit the Back button of their browsers and disastrously reset a Flash content back to the beginning. Some Flash web sites go as far as taking away all the browser menus altogether to avoid this, reducing browser functionality further.

The judges also might have viewed the entries on the spot from a broadband terminal, which shows none of the difference on how well the entry web sites perform if they were using a dial-up line. These issues I've pointed out were important to functionality as one of the criteria.

In fairness to all, the web sites were all judged based on the adequacy of content and how well they are organized. You can read the details of the criteria here:

http://cebuwebawards.cebu-chamber.com/criteria.html

[celtic_predator]

They may have judged from an advertising point of view and you know how Flash web sites excel in this area. They would have little knowledge about technical advantages of well-optimized pure html web sites that load faster and are search engine friendly, not to mention accessibility to visually-impaired users, which are perhaps more effective in reaching customers seeking fast information rather than those who come because they were referred by award sites. Customers more often hit the Back button of their browsers and disastrously reset a Flash content back to the beginning. Some Flash web sites go as far as taking away all the browser menus altogether to avoid this, reducing browser functionality further.

The judges also might have viewed the entries on the spot from a broadband terminal, which shows none of the difference on how well the entry web sites perform if they were using a dial-up line. These issues I've pointed out were important to functionality as one of the criteria.

You're right.

I guess if this is the case, then Flash animators would have the upper hand. Html sites (even optimized) would less likely prevail because judges are looking at the aesthic standpoint. The more Flashy (pun...) the site, the more chance it has in getting the judges nods. For those hardcore static webpage designers, I'm sorry but that's just the case here in Cebu. Better learn Flash quick and enter Cebu Web Awards next year.

[kaG0m!e]

uhmmm cguro sa "best website" flashsites are trendy and noticable...

pero sa webolympics noh... most designes are purely flash sites..with matching web intro pa.. i must admit..nice jud as in..kulba ayo animation.. naa pay pina pakli pakli sa papel..pero wala man maka sulod sa top 3..either Open category, College or highskool,... those naka sud top 3 kay may flash lang gamay but not flashsite jud.. hinuon business type man to mao cguro di mayo ang flashsite...

[$dbpasswd]

@kaG0m!e

Anyone thinking of joining an on-the-spot web design contest with only two(2) days of work, (or even less with technical delays along the way), had better think twice before attempting on a pure Flash web site. He/She might manage to pull if off by rehearsing and researching the content and testing beforehand.

[kaG0m!e]

yes...even how many days pa..it is not advicable for corporate/business site to be pureflash site...

[celtic_predator]

@kagomie
Well, the one who won this year's Corporate/Business category is a Flash site..
Like what $dbpasswd said, it seems the judges don't care if your site is well-optimized/search-friendly, as long as you get their attention, that's good enough for you to get an award.

[chronnus]

Tsk, tsk, that's a pity, web design isn't all about the flashy presentation, and if the judges can't see past that either the competition needs new judges or they need to educate them more.

[$dbpasswd]

Like what $dbpasswd said, it seems the judges don't care if your site is well-optimized/search-friendly, as long as you get their attention, that's good enough for you to get an award.

... to the point that even if you were using AJAX, where the entire web page does not have to be reloaded each time the user makes a change or request information, the judges would barely notice or give credit for your hard programming labor. In conclusion, Flash is now a necessary component to a Cebu web award entry.