Comments on: Do we still need the Webby Awards?

The annual ceremony for honoring the best of the Web now features more celebrities, fewer five-word acceptance speeches, and just as much Hollywood-inspired glitz. At this point, does the Internet need to broadcast its importance with an awards show?

[alafreniere]

the roots drummer is questlove typo, and the roots were a great band long before they were Jimmy Fallons house band....not to say they arent great on Fallon....

[olsonde]

It's never about "need". People like awards shows. The Webbies are no more irrelevant than the Tony's, Emmy's, Grammy's, CMA's, PCA's, VMA's, NAE's (National Academy of Engineering), Golden Globes, or the Oscars. I suppose the Nobel Prizes are a little above irrelevant even in this day and age. People love to go to awards ceremonies. People love to win awards regardless of how pretentious they are. So it's best not to question their relevance.

[cvaldes1831]

They are dinosaurs like tradeshows.

That's five words. But yeah, people like awards shows. People like recognition from others. As to the relevance between the Internet and the entertainment business, please refer the section "iTunes Store". Thank you.

[RighteousSoutherner]

Who on earth even paid attention to this thing? I know I didn't, nor my peers in the industry.

[cvaldes1831]

The mainstream media loves these sort of things. When I worked in web development, I certainly did not pay attention to stuff like this.

These are easily digestible, non-technical events, unlike scary developer conferences.

Sadly, high-tech doesn't know how to party (Henry Nicholas notwithstanding). You're better off working out and going to sleep early.

[fiksion]

Did we ever need the Webby awards?

[cvaldes1831]

The first couple of years might have been helpful to some consumers. Remember, the Webbies really started in 1996 as part of Tiffany Shlain's now-defunct The Web magazine, in an era when mainstream media was not covering the Internet (long before there was Digg, del.icio.us, Reddit, etc.).

The biggest issue with the Webby Awards is that they are "pay-to-play" entries. ____ site is the best on the Internet because they ponied up the cash? That's like the state fair.

The awards would actually have more relevance if they were solely merit based, and not because someone set aside marketing dollars to basically pay to put themselves on the ballot and the will-call list for party tickets.

[malmedia]

To me it does not make much sense because the winners are whole sites/studios and not specif products or features.

[ddhboy]

I was walking past the webbies on wall st. yesterday. Media sure knows how to make an event seem bigger than it actually is. Probably a dozen photographers/reporters out on the red carpet, and a small crowd across the street taking pictures of the action falsely believing that anyone famous or important would be seen strolling down the 3 yard long red carpet. along the side of the building, next to it a small
On the backdrop, the only noticeable logo on first glance was that of youtube, which just goes to show you that if you don't sell your internet brand in its native environment, no one will recognize it in real life.

When I reemerged onto the hollow surroundings of a panic stricken Wall St, the festivities had started, and the crowed across the street had dispersed. Only then did I see The Webbies logo on the backdrop and came to realize just why everything was so flacid. Inside Failblog would be accepting an award that they extorted out of their users, NBC would win an award for broadband TV providing with Hulu not even nominated. All this money wasted on an award that no one will care about or help in your advertising (as oppose to the Oscars or something)

[wilmepe]

The answer is no.

[MadLyb]

What are the Webby Awards?

8^P

Just like all awards, these are just self-serving mechanisms for people within the industry to stroke their egos.

[ca5ter]

I wanted to comment first, but I was busy ... working...

Damn work!

I wish I could just write a blog and twitter all day... Why do I have to work, my comments are so important to the world.

[SubramaniamV]

I can understand where the author is coming from. This is always the case with most awards. It becomes a free-for-all and an ego trip. There is no solution to this.

I am all for awards. As in the madness (and hype) cutting edge work will make its presence felt. If I were to draw a parallel, awards are like F1 Rally. We might not be driving those cars but it is a testing ground for breakthroughs to be visible and succeed.

If a digital agency does not get carried away with awards and focuses on what it does best for the clients and succeeds, they are definitely bound to find a place in the roll of honor.

[zclayton2]

The move to Youtube is a good sign. If it was all streamcast and off the "broadcast" spectrum it would be even better.

[dee3s]

Do we need CNET's Webware awards?