My pet project Dogster was awared a Webby for Best Internet Community and we went to NYC to pick it up. I know for certain there are better community site, many of them in fact, but if the judges wanted to pick us, we’ll take it! It was really nice being there and getting kudos from people I had never met before. Dogster was
included in the New York Times wrap-up and CNN even broadcast our 5 word acceptance speach and did a short on-screen review. Makes me proud that we don’t spend a dollar on PR and no pushy phone calls were made on our behalf. ;>

This year the awards were announced a month prior to the ceremony so the attendants were winners, their guests, judges and others related folks. The crowd was a bit staid and never reached a single mind, but individually there were some great and amazing people there. Co-Dogsters John and Steven spoke with awardee Al Gore. Vinton Cerf, creator of the TCP/IP protocol and one of the true inventors of the internet, gave a strong speach including the gracious and profound quip “We all invented the Internet.”

Other people I got to speak with were Craig Newmark who got an individual achivement award, Stewart Butterfield who was there to pick up Flickr’s outstanding achievement award. Stewart’s wife and biz partner Caterina Fake has been a big Dogster fan from the beginning, so I gave them a brand spanking new Dogster bandana for Dos Pesos. I also saw Don Hazen, E.D. of the Independent Media Institute who’s excellent alternet.org was awarded. While working for Don in 1995-1996 on the Media and Democracy Conference, I browsed my first web pages so there was something all very cool about that.

Personality-wise my favorite new meets were all Brit awardees. Joel Veitch of the rathergood.com (think viking kitties that want to take you to a gay bar) and the inimitable Nick and Simon of PokeLondon (who won for JamieOliver.com (the chef) and AlexanderMcQueen.com (the designer). Nick also makes old skool handsets for cell phones. That instigated a lot of pictures.

Since the ceremony was winners-mostly, the diversity of crowd was a bit short. Perhaps next year they should plan day-of workshops or presentations so we can know why a state agency insurance site won a people’s voice or why a Palo Alto High School site won best school site beating out Wharton, Parsons and Berkley. There is much to be learned and geeks shine best preseting, and don’t do so well in open-ended social situations.

Oh, and yes, our five word acceptance speach was, ahem, “Let’s Do it Doggy Style.”