Celebrating the county’s dot-coms

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- Scott Bass didn’t even want to come. The online

editor of Surfmag.com, Bass had received a call that his Web site had

made it to the finals of the inaugural Orange County eWards.

Thursday’s event, billed as an Academy Awards-style ceremony, honored

the best in the county’s Internet world.

“There are lots of awards on the Internet,” Bass said, mingling with

fellow dot-commers at the Orange County Museum of Art. “It’s ‘come to my

site and grab a badge.”’

But clutching his eWard -- a glass sculpture made up of a colorful “e”

and a clear base, Bass said he didn’t regret having taken the time.

“I couldn’t be happier,” he said, his flip-flops and casual shirt

right in line with the “Dot Com Finery” attire requested on the

invitation. “I’m thrilled to death.”

Fellow eWard winner Shere’e Clock Cormier, the president of

Mymission.org, said she knew exactly what she’d do with her statuette.

“I think I might sleep with it tonight,” she said, laughing. “And then

I’ll put it next to my Barbie phone on my night stand so that I can look

at it.”

Some of the 200-plus attendees certainly tried their best to

cyber-dress -- a couple of turtlenecks and T-shirts dotted an otherwise

suit and tie crowd.

Behavior wasn’t quite up to Oscar standards (did the failing sound

system or some snags on the PowerPoint presentations cause the upheaval?)

and presenters repeatedly had to calm down the chatty audience.

But with phrases such as “and the nominees are” and “and the winner

is,” the organizers tried to lend some glamour to the affair. (Mind you,

the Oscars have dropped the politically incorrect “winner” phrase for

“and the Oscar goes to.”)

Wine, cocktails and assorted cookies kept guests entertained during

the hourlong awards ceremony.

When the statuettes had changed hands, Graham Mabon, one of 10 judges

who rated more than 150 Web sites, said he’d been surprised by one or two

winners. While design aesthetics, content, technical innovation,

functionality and interactivity all played a role in selecting the best,

Mabon added that a Web site’s ability to provide solutions for visitors

had an advantage over creativity.

Lisa Rubenstein, a Corona del Mar Web site developer who planned the

awards ceremony, said despite some minor problems, she was pleased with

the result.

“It was a first-year event,” she said, adding there would surely be a

second one next year. “It turned out pretty well.”

And Joy Hart, who scooped up two eWards for her work on Mazdausa.com,

summed it all up in her acceptance speech.

“I know you are all going to challenge us,” she said, receiving the

Best of Show eWard. “Let’s just keep participating and raise the bar

every year.”

BOX:

Orange County eWards 2000

https://www.riechesbaird.com

Business-to-business service

https://www.1221oceanavenue.com Business-to-consumer service

https://www.gateway.com

Business-to-business e-commerce

https://www.Mazdausa.com

Business-to-consumer e-commerce and best of show

https://www.stemcellselection.com

Education/training

https://www.mymission.org

Nonprofit/association

https://www.alisogolf.com

Travel

https://www.flyweight.com

Lifestyle

https://www.surfermag.com

Online publication

Proceeds from the event will benefit Goodwill Industries of Orange

County (https://www.ocgoodwill.org) and Another Byte

(https://www.recycles.org/byte). Both organizations recycle older

computers for organizations and individuals in need.