Sometimes, when you are months into a big project with a long time still to go to launch, you wonder if it’s all worth it. Will anyone notice? Was that big idea we had really the right one? What if somebody launches before you and steals your thunder?
Were you were mad to even set out on a path in the first place?
I’m sure we all have those doubts and there were plenty of times in the development of the new ZDNet site that I questioned my sanity.
I say new but in fact it’s been nearly a year since we launched (it’s one year old on 30th October) and last night at the AOP Awards, the publishing industry voted ZDNet.co.uk “Best Business Website 2007″
The judges said: -
“This site has displayed a fantastic use of web 2.0 and is in tune with the user. Really revolutionary, with a thinking behind the site that is streets ahead of its peers”
Amazing really that a site conceived nearly two years ago should be praised for being ahead of it’s time even now. When we started out on the project, some of what we were doing was completely unproven and we had no idea if it would work.
Last night proves that we weren’t mad (well not much) and that we had a vision that has become the benchmark for other publishers. It’s nice to know that somebody noticed as well.
October 25, 2007 at 11:10 am
And Mike, it would never have happened without you!
You also like to know that at the inaugural Flackenhacks awards, ZDNet.co.uk walked off with another ward - this one for Best Business Tech Publication 2007.
This means that in addition to being judged the best business tech website by the AOP, who represent the publishing industry old and new, ZDNet.co.uk is also the best business tech publication (online or off) according to the UK tech industry.
This latest award was for the site (or publication) that has the most credibility. “We’re not after the one that looks best on top of a pile of clippings, or the one that’s done you the most favours this year…we’re after the one you go to for solid, unbiased (business) tech news, views and reviews,” it says here.
And I do think that the site build has helped a long way towards the credibility, giving the editorial team so much more space ad ways to experiment with online content types and of course the way we interact with our readers.