Tampa Bay Coalition
Pride and Appreciation & Gay Friendly
Web Site Awards Purpose and
Policy
"The purpose of our awards program
is to acknowledge
webmasters/owners web sites that:
Offer services, support or resources to the Gay,
Lesbian,
Bisexual and Transgender Community.
Are actively involved in issues of importance's to GLBT,
anti-bias, anti-discrimination, anti-hate, promoting gay
civil rights, domestic partners benefits, equal protection
in employment, housing, public accommodations GLBT
health and wellness.
Promote the positive aspects of the GLBT members of
our society, welcome GLBT's and Straights equally, are
considered to be Gay Friendly.
For promoting and or exhibiting, acceptance, tolerance,
understanding and equality for all people, they enhance
the quality of life for all members of our society.
Their dedication, hard word, time, effort, compassion,
concern and caring is deserving of recognition and our
gratitude. Our way of showing our appreciation to the
webmasters, designers and creators of this web sites, is
by honoring them and their web site with our award
banner. And by listing their web site on our sites
"Hall of GLBT Hero's" To publicly acknowledge their
contribution to GLBT's and GLBT Communities.
Award Policy and Requirements
"Primary criteria used to judge nominated web sites."
All web site are judged by our award committee on it's
entirety. All web site must be free of charge and accessible
all with no restrictions. The criteria we use to judge
those
web sites nominated is if it exhibits exceptional qualities
in content, support, resources, services. The message or
theme of your site, and it's effect on your visitors. The
overall contribution your web site offers to GLBT's and
GLBT Communities. Links on your web site must be in
working order. This is a crucial requirement and links are
thoroughly checked. Links are vital part for many of those
who visit sites. Whether for enjoyment or most
important
they seek sites that offer services, support and resources
or enjoyment. [ The Dead Links Bill has made it through
the House and Senate. It's about to become law, it calls
for the immediate thrashing of webmasters found with
dead links on their web sites.]
These are the deciding factors on award approval. The
items below are taken into
consideration on the number
of hits your site will receive. Points
based on the ease in
navigating your sites, the degree
visitors enjoy surfing
your site, the length time visitors
spend at you site, if a
visitor would made return trips and would visitors be more
or less likely to recommend or link
your site. No matter how
great your site and message are, without it receiving traffic,
your message is lost.
"Secondary criteria used
to judge nominated web sites."
Main entry page is easily accessible. Introduction pages of
one or two is acceptable. Sites that
have multiple introduction
pages are not. If a visitor has to
endure three to five or six
[teasers] pages before accessing the
web sites main/home/index
page, most leave before ever seeing the
site.
Pages load reasonably quickly. Pages that take more than a few
seconds to load do not make for happy visitors to your site.
Pop-Ups are a fact of web life. Sections of our web site has them.
It opens automatically when these pages are accessed. It minimizes
with the first click of your mouse and doesn't reproduce itself. If
pop-ups take all the enjoyment out ofviewing the site and are
excessive. Of course this could because
for rejection.
Web site setting that allow for viewing by all type computers and
browsers. This is one of the most important aspects of a web site.
Music can be that perfect feature to compliment your site. It
also can be a thorn in some side. I
myself do add it to some
pages. My only suggestion on this is to
give the visitor the option
to turn it off. Leave the player
control accessible and if possible
at the top of your page. I have learned
this works well for all
visitors.
Grammar and spelling on your site. This is something that can
over shadow even the best
sites. It takes away from your message
being taken seriously. Where is spell
and grammar check when
you really need it. [This I have
learned first hand. Having someone
double check is a good idea. We tend to
miss our own mistakes.]
Adult Oriented or sites that have an Adult Section,
see requirements bottom of page.
Web Sites will be rejected as award candidates if:
They in any way promote, incite or condone hate, bias,
discrimination, intolerance or intolerance of any person('s)
or groups of people.
They in any way mock, belittle, ridicule or humiliate any
person ('s) or group ('s) of people.
They in any way incite or direct violence toward any
person ('s) or group ('s) of people.
They in any way promote such behavior that can or will
adversely affect the well being of person ('s) or group ('s)
of people.
They in any way are involved in behavior deemed illegal or
unlawful conduct.
Adult Material or Oriented Sites
They offer adult orientated web site that deals in any type of
child pornography or sexual behavior deemed unsuitable by
our award committee. We reserve the right to reject any site
we deem their material is unacceptable by our personal belief.
Sites that have sections that offer adult material are not all
rejected. If they do have such material listed above and have
sections that qualify as to criteria listed above. These site can
be nominated and receive our award. They should have this
material in a separate area and have an adult protected/warning
page or password protected..
Web sites that have received our award and adds material that
violates or requirements on adult material. Such sites will be
removed from our GLBT Award Hall of Fame. They will be
notified of the change and reason for this change. They will be
requested to remove our award from their web site.