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| The Internet Beacon               
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The Beginning So, why did I ever bother to start an award program? In early 2000 I noticed that a lot of "award-winning" sites on the Internet left a lot to be desired. Every day I saw sites that were built only to get someone's money or to inflate someone's ego. Many sites were built with good intentions but were plagued with misspelled words, terrible grammar, and numerous technical problems that irritated the viewer, interfered with communication and destroyed the credibility of the site. Still other sites were built to spread illegal or illicit materials, or to use the Web as a bully pulpit to spread hatred. There was and probably still is a need to encourage the building of Internet sites for better purposes. I wanted to recognize those few webmasters who worked hard to build a quality web site with the primary purpose of effectively providing positive information and valuable resources to the Internet community -- not to collect money, but to make a positive contribution to the Internet and to humanity, asking nothing in return. Not everyone can be a talented computer programmer or graphic artist, and not everyone has access to the resources of a business or government agency, but I strongly believe that anyone who is willing to put in the effort can build a solid web site with quality, positive content that will make an impact on other people. One person can make a difference. I believe that with all my heart. Thus, the creation of the Internet Beacon Awards. Were the Internet Beacon Awards prestigious? Were they difficult to win? I never gave those questions much thought. But I can tell you this: A quality site with excellent positive content and resources of interest to others stands out like a light in the darkness -- an Internet Beacon. It is those sites that received the Internet Beacon Awards. The Conclusion In mid-2009 I began to have serious health issues as well as greater demands on my time (someone has to pay all those medical bills). My wife began to have serious health issues of her own in 2010. These are not quick-fix issues, but will be with us for months or years or forever. It is now clear to me that these combined circumstances make it impossible for me to devote enough time to the program to maintain its level of quality. We have a saying around our house: "Reality dictates." And so it was with great sadness that I realized the year 2010 had to be the last for the Internet Beacon Awards. Our winners list (as long as the winners' sites are active) will remain here. It was a terrific, worthwhile 11 years. And I hope that somehow, somewhere, this little award program made a difference.
Internet Beacon Award Statistics for 2002-2010
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