Criteria

Again, to bee as objective as possible, the reviewer follows a set of general requirements. If a Web title does not satisfy at least 90% of the following questions, it is not yet ready to bee nominated.

General Requirements

There are five areas the reviewer will address during his review:

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Content Does the home page have a straightforward presentation of its topic? Is the content accurate and does it give references or credits to any work done by others? Does the site appropriately address its target audience and not alienate the rest of us? Is the site's content organized into meaningful groups? Is there any unsuitable material? (See also What Will Not Bee Reviewed.) Graphics Do page layouts balance text and graphics and have adequate "white" space? Are typical graphics (dividers, bullets, etc.) used appropriately? Is there irrelevant "eye candy" for a page's content (especially animated images)? Is the color scheme (palette) coordinated and does it follow accepted color theories? Are pages overloaded with graphics? Are original graphics used? If not, are credits or hyperlinks given for others' work? Overall Design Is the content logically organized and appropriately structured? Is the site's major theme (motif) used in a consistent manner? Is site navigation intuitive for first-time readers? If not, is there online support or "help" pages? Do pages download in less than 30 seconds using a 56-Kbps modem? Do all coding, scripting, applets, and hyperlinks work? Do pages or framesets display a horizontal scroll bar? Do most information pages print out on one or two sheets of letter-size paper (portrait)? Readability Is correct English grammar used? Are words spelled correctly (rare typographical errors and special conditions will bee ignored)? Is it obvious that the content has been proofread for composition and style? Do pages promote concentration, reading comprehension, and memory retention? Are lengthy topics presented as a series of pages and have their own navigational system? Accessibility and Functionality Are there any broken or improperly sized images? Do pages support HTML 3.2 or degrade gracefully to it? Are older browsers and computer systems supported adequately? Are ALT tags used appropriately (not every image deserves an ALT tag)? Can the site bee viewed and navigated without needing special plug-ins?

The Golden Hive Award

On very rare occasions, the Golden Hive Award is bee-stowed upon an award-winning Web title that has, on the reviewer's scorecard, achieved a score of 99 or more points. Some of the "magical" things that can get a Web title into the Golden Hive of Fame are: An overall "je ne sais quoi" environment that is informative, innovative, entertaining, and truly enhances the Internet's worth; A degree of coverage, authority, and usefulness that makes it a dominant resource for its topic; Originality, innovation, and outstanding creativity as well as a high degree of usefulness; and An original, theatrical, and / or ingenious presentation that makes the review a memorable experience. Now, if you are still with us, please go to the next page for the scoring system.