| 1. Can you tell us a little bit about where you are located/live? ( you can include any personal
information you wish to share, such as family life etc. ) |
 I live in tropical north Queensland Australia in a small town called Mareeba which is about 65klm's from the Barrier Reef city of Cairns.
My wife and I moved here from Brisbane where I worked as Chief Training Officer for the Prisons department. In 1989 We moved to Mareeba where I took up the position of Prison Deputy Governor. Mareeba is a small town and its main industry is tobacco, it is famous for its Rodeo which happens each July and attracts some of the top Rodeo riders from all over the world.
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| 2. How did you get interested in starting a web awards program? |
In early 2001 was invited to joined Brian Garnett and the evaluation team for The Graham Nash Awards of Excellence (GNAE) this gave me an insight into the awards community and also an opportunity learn the fundamentals of site evaluation. I saw what I believed to be a very worthwhile process of rewarding websites for effort and skill but more importantly, a platform to assist and motivate others with whatever knowledge and skill I had and to do it in a way that was encouraging and motivating personal development.
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| 3. How long has your AP been in operation? |
The Famous Ozz Award gave birth on the 10th May 2001.It has gone through many developments during its 14 month history both in design and criteria content. The AP currently averages around 53 applications per month.
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| 4. What are the benefits to running an AP? |
For me the benefits of running an AP are many and varied but mainly they would come within two distinct categories..
1.Personal kudos and sense of achievement (yes I like pats on the back just like everyone else), to see my AP develop and grow from its initial rating of 3.5 to its current rating of 4.5
To receive acknowledgement from my peers, and have them recognize my contribution is a very satisfying thing.
2.Knowing that I have in some way helped someone become better at what they do and given them confidence in their own ability to achieve more is also a great benefit of running my AP.
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| 5. What are the pitfalls to running an AP? |
WOW, a great question... again speaking from a personal point of view I would say that having a thin skin is not recommended, and taking things personally is counter productive. If I can not consistently exercise self
discipline, humility, understanding, rigid professionalism, and an over abundance of objectivity then I believe I will not last the distance.
Another important issue for me is the fact that with the AP Rating (at whatever level) comes a certain professional responsibility to the
applicants, the award rating body, the wider internet community and last but not least our AP owner colleagues. I firmly believe that when making decisions these factors must be considered if the decisions are likely to impact on any of the above.
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| 6. What gives you the most satisfaction running an awards program? |
Apart from the issuing of awards and the thank you emails I would have to say that
I believe that I have managed to develop an Award Program which has not lost its personality or fundamental purpose during its own growth.
Another major area of satisfaction for me are the applicants who have gone through the levels of awards I offer from Bronze through to gold, that is a great source of satisfaction for me, and hopefully the recipients as well.
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| 7. What is the first thing you look for when you do an evaluation? |
The Ozz Award has a proud policy of not having any disqualification criteria but this should not be confused with a strict requirement of criteria being met to be in the award categories.
I have on site a list of "automatic points loss items" so I do a "soft evaluation" first to check those items, this is simply an efficiency issue for me.. it is a pointless exercise to continue if the points lost during this phase take an applicant outside the award categories.
~Top~
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8. Who, if anyone, influenced you the most when you were first beginning
your awards program? |
Without question my biggest influence when first beginning my AP was Dave from Ultradave.com
http://www.ultradave.com/
Dave continues to be my inspiration and and guiding light... (don't tell him that though)
Taking this question a little further, there are also others who have had a profound influence on me, inside and outside of the awards community for other reasons such as their humility, genuine determination and desire to contribute positively, and offer assistance and ask for nothing in return.
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| 9. How did this person or AP influence you? |
Dave has, and continues to have a profound influence on me because notwithstanding his own very busy schedule he always finds time for people and no issue is to trivial for him to deal with. He is a master of diplomacy, his comments and advice are forthright and honest, and always intended to encourage self development.
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10. In your opinion, what is the biggest mistake a newly forming awards program
might make? |
I would say that trying to clone a top rated AP is a very big mistake. Let me explain that a little more.. By all means visit the best and highest rated AP's you will learn much about structure, purpose, award design, criteria development, and what attracts quality applicants.
These AP's are rightly a showcase for such things and the work and skill that has gone into them is obvious.
To me every AP has an individual personality so it is very important to stamp your own personality on your own AP, if you simply clone another's it will not reflect YOUR personality and that will, over time show through.
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| 11. In your opinion, what is the biggest mistake an Award Seeker might make? |
From a personal perspective, the old hairy chestnut of not reading/understanding criteria is by far the biggest mistake award seekers make.
This next comment may sound controversial and arrogant it is not meant that way.
Another mistake from my experience is the belief by some applicants that I may be a "soft touch" and sometimes lazy in my evaluations and their criteria non compliance issues will be missed or overlooked, or its "their turn" because a friend got one, and respond very badly to notifications of no award being received...
This is an attitude that goes with the territory, we all make mistakes and miss things now and again.. that is a far cry from not taking the evaluation of applicants seriously.
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12. What tips can you give to AP Owners who are looking to improve their
program? |
I would offer the following strategies that I personally use:
When working on your AP, after each modification ask yourself these questions:
1. Is what I have done in harmony with my purpose and does retain my personality?
2. Is it within the accepted rules of the rating body?
3. Do I have any way to measure the success/ failure of significant changes?
4. Is it still fun and rewarding for me personally?
5. Has it made me a better webmaster/mistress?
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| 13. What tips can you give to Award Seekers? |
This is probably the toughest question here.
I would encourage award seekers not only to be fully conversant with what the criteria is saying but also to understand that I, the award giver place prime importance and pride on the award itself, irrespective of the level.
The award represents not only personal achievement to the recipient, it also represents the values, beliefs, personality, and respect of the award
giver, this is sometimes lost in the scheme of things..
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| 14. Looking back, knowing what you know now, would you do it all over again? |
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Yes, without doubt I would do it all again. To compensate for all the frustrations, disappointments, and other understandable things that go on in such a diverse place like the awards community I have met and forged some very good friendships which I value above all else.
~Top~
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| 15. What is your fondest memory with regards to your awards program? |
Oh my now you are really probing..
some time ago when I was at rating 3.5 I received an application from a person who had a "sport's site" clearly this person did not fit my age eligibility criteria and I politely wrote and told him the reason I could not issue him with an award. However I did make a special "one off" award for him to put on his site on the condition that it was not to be noted as a rated award...but rather a special award gift from one to another.
Within a very short time the person emailed me with a lesson in COPPA law and told me in no uncertain terms that I must change my rules.. ( by his own admission he was 13 years old) I felt it more appropriate to end the communication at this point.
Almost an hour later I received another email from this person, apologising for his behaviour, recognising the time and trouble I went to in making and sending him the special award... To me that was a wonderful moment especially coming from a 13 year old...
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| 16. What is your favorite shark species? <grin> |
Easy. Greg Norman!!!
(gee, a catshark just can't catch a break these days!)
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