If you aren't willing to submit to these requirements, don't bother applying.

• If you are using a browser that is not forms capable, please include the following information on your email application. Your full name, your hometown, your email address(very important, I can't contact you if you don't tell me how), the name of your website to be reviewed, and of course the URL of your site. Give me a brief description of what I will find when I get to your site and tell me if it is best viewed with a particular browser. Please let me know how you happened to find 1998 on the Web, and finally, assure me that you agree to and accept all the requirements contained on this page.
  
  
• Whenever I receive an award, I always send a note of thank you to the presenter. It only takes a few minutes. I expect this same courtesy from you. Even if you're unhappy with the award you receive, a note of acknowledgment is in order. If you don't possess the common courtesy to do this, you shouldn't be applying for awards in the first place...so don't apply for mine. If you accept and post my award, but fail to send me an acknowledgment, it will be my pleasure to remove all traces of you from my records, and void your award. Remember...you're not an "official" winner until your site appears on my winners list. And your site WILL NOT appear on my winners list if you don't have the decency to send me a thank you note. After all, I did take the time to review your site.
  
  
• Now, I realize that most of you don't need to be told this. To you, I apologize, and thank you for the netiquette. Those of us who have award programs work very hard to review all sites submitted to us. Please have the decency to take a few minutes out of your day to send an acknowledgment...even if you choose not to accept the award. I reiterate: if you don't possess the courtesy to do this, DON'T WASTE MY TIME. Apply for someone else's award.
  
  
• When applying for my award, you MUST acknowledge these requirements! Not agreeing to follow my requirements will earn your application a trip to the trash. If your browser doesn't support forms, and you apply by email, you still must specifically state that you agree to follow my requirements. Again, fail to do so, and I will throw your application out.
  
  
• Please keep in mind: my standards are very high, and my decisions are final. Your site must show exceptional design, layout and content to win the Gold Plaque. If you don't win the Gold, please don't complain...it will fall on deaf ears. And please don't expect me to explain why it didn't. I have neither the time nor the inclination to do so. I judge each site with equal fairness and I make no apologies regarding my decisions. If you are not prepared to take a Bronze or less, DO NOT APPLY. If you are not willing to accept my judgment, DO NOT APPLY. If you make a solid effort to improve your site, please feel free to reapply at any time, but don't spam me, I'll just tell my email reader to stop accepting from your address.
  
  
• For those accepting my award, you have a grace period of two (2) weeks to post the award to your site, with a link back to this site. Failure to do so will result in removal of your name from my records, and the award will be considered invalid. With that said, I want you to know that I am very proud to have you display my award graphic on your site.
  
  
• A note about multiple site submissions: I've noticed a disturbing trend lately of people submitting two or more sites at the same time. Don't do this. This increases my work load tremendously. If you have more than one website, choose ONE and submit it. If you absolutely must have more than one site reviewed, submit them at least a couple of weeks apart. Multiple site submissions will be ignored. And if you try to circumvent this restriction by submitting two or more sites at the same time, under different names and email addresses, and I find out they belong to the same person, I will throw out the applications for these sites and award none of them. Thank you for your consideration.
  
  
• I am only fluent in the English language. So websites that are not in English cannot be judged on content, only on presentation. If you have browsed the 1998 on the Web site, you have noticed that I do have several European language translations on the pages. I used the AltaVista and Systran translation service to programatically generate those translations, and can use the same on your site, but remember it's a computer doing the translation. To qualify for my award, your site must also have an alternate English version of your site available. I apologize particulary to the Asian applicants, but I cannot judge what I cannot understand.
  
  

OK! I'm ready to apply...

Many thanks to Glenn Akiyama of GA's Web Design for the thoughts and concepts behind the requirements for the Internet Brothers Plaque for Helpware Excellence. Glenn is the first recipient of the Gold Plaque.