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Best International Support Sites: Info for Judges
We are looking for people who feel strongly about localization and the need to provide support to local markets and have a commitment to excellence in global support. In particular, we need judges who can provide professional evaluation of international support sites. If you are committed to seeing international businesses provide first-rate support, we would like to hear from you.
How much time will the judging take?
We would like to assign each judge about five sites, but the number will vary depending on how many entries use each language. We will limit you to no more than seven sites. You’ll have at least a month to review and score these sites. Based on ASP’s experience, we estimate that judges will usually spend 30 minutes to an hour per site.
What’s the schedule this year?
The extended deadline is September 18, 2008
We’d like to get your scores and comments by late October, 2008. We’ll tabulate the results and announce the winners as soon as possible after that.
If you will not be available during that time period, you should probably not volunteer as a judge.
Can I be a judge if my company has entered the competition?
No problem. Obviously, we won’t ask you to judge your own entry or entries from competitors, clients, or former employers. If you are assigned a site that you do not think you can impartially judge, let us know so we can change your assignments.
What are the entry materials like?
You’ll get a set of screen shots and two essays—one that identifies three site elements that are particularly noteworthy, and a second one that describes how international support needs have been integrated into the company’s support strategy. You’ll also get any URLs and passwords you need to the actual sites.
How does the scoring work?
LISA has developed a scoring system (based on ASP’s proven metrics for evaluating support sites) that helps you evaluate 25 different criteria. You will be provided with a user name and password to log into the LISA site where you will be able to fill out score sheets and submit your comments. Every entry will be scored independently by six judges (three per each language), and we will calculate a composite score to determine overall rankings.
What do judges get in return?
You'll get a complimentary electronic copy of The Year’s Ten Best International Web Support Sites, the book-length report we will publish on the winners. You’ll also get a nice resume credential and a modest amount of publicity on the awards site. And we hope that you will find analyzing and scoring real Web sites an interesting and rewarding experience. (In other words, no cash.)
How do I volunteer as a judge?
To volunteer as a judge, please send an e-mail Arle Lommel, the awards program manager, at arle@lisa.org and tell him about your qualifications (including what languages you can judge). He will register you as a judge and keep you updated on the entries you will be given.
