FOR WEBSITE EXCELLENCE
Over the years since the grand début of Earthrounders in Oshkosh 2000 and the subsequent development of this site a short time later, we have increasingly been able to accompany modern round-the-world flights on the Internet. Since that time, there has been an average of 8 circumnavigations per year. Whilst not everyone can be bothered with a website, others do go to this trouble. Some of these sites are good, some excellent and some frustratingly poor. Whilst we have no right to judge the values and priorities chosen by RTW pilots in their respective web designs, we would like to applaud those who allow us fellow pilots to follow their circumnavigations in a pleasurably easy manner.
- making it possible for a viewer to see immediately - on a FAST loading front page - where in the world the pilot(s) is/are
- easy navigation, no need to "click here" to enter,
- self explanatory and easy-to-follow menu
- map or maps showing the actual flight position
- flight log with links to comments on previous legs
- thumbnail pictures. A viewer with more time on his/her hands may then explore at leisure
- daily updates or as regularly as possible
- if the main site is not in English, a link please with translations into English of the principal page and log
- turn off the noise! It's out of fashion!
To bribe future Earthrounders into designing websites that we find informative and easy to follow, we have created the Earthrounders Gold Star for Website Excellence. The recipients of the Gold Star can use the logo on their site if they so desire.
The first website to which we would like to award the Gold Star is
http://www.worldflight2006.de belonging to Ulf and Matthias Muehlbacher, from Germany.
August 2006.