Another strong ethics point is to remember that your criteria is your contract with awards submitters. You should use no other standards except for your those criteria which were posted at time person submitted for award. Why? Because you need to stick to agreement that you have made and not use some arbitrary standard known only to yourself.

Remember your power and be professional at all times. A professional is smooth, honest, hardworking and helpful. Don't get into arguments, flame wars or any other petty behaviors as regards your awards program.

Another important point to understand is an awards program should be pure. You should have no requirements, no string attached, except for common request for a link back to your site. You can, of course, request people to sign your guestbook, but never make it a requirement to win an award.

Remember, again, to base your decisions only on your criteria. It does not matter if site you are judging belongs to your boss, your mother or your best friend - just judge against criteria. If you feel you cannot give an unbiased opinion for any reason, then by all means inform submitter pf fact and do not judge site.

A very important ethical point is your awards program is only as good as your own site. In other words, your own website should be a model to others as to what it takes to win one of your awards.

There are many other qualities that make for an ethical awards program. For a more complete list, see our statement of ethics at http://www.internet-tips.net/Winawards/awardsethics.htm

In summary, by remaining ethical you can build an awards program that makes you proud and very effectively advertises your own site and professional skills. What better way to promote yourself than that?

I was sick when I realized it!

Since then I've been a little more particular when I compose pages, with what goes out in my newsletter (and I still slip up), and contents of articles that I submit to other newsletters.

Yesterday, I received an emailed 'proof' from a newsletter editor publishing one of my articles later in week. Normally, I'd have simply acknowledged editor and got on with my mail. I decided to read it through though and, sure enough, hyperlinks in credits at end were missing and contained error messages in their places! I wrote back, explained problem, provided corrections and thanked him VERY much for 'proof'! He replied within hours with correction and we were happy campers again.

I thought it was interesting that I took time I didn't THINK I had and checked it over. That's all it took.

I will investigate unsolicited email that sparks my interest but it is so frustrating to get fired up over a message and want to get to advertised web site, only to find that site is not up, 'under construction', or otherwise unavailable. I think to myself that author of that email might just as well have flushed his investment in his time and money down toilet for all it did for him, and it all could have been avoided by checking little things like 'details'... "Is site finished? Is it up on server yet? Good, send broadcast!"

I once read that most millionaires share a common characteristic: they can account for practically every cent they save, spend, invest, etc. They pay attention to details.

Do I still have errors out there? Probably, but less so...

...I'm selling more books now, anyway.