Web Honors Go to Al Gore and Others

June 10, 2005 &#151 -- In this week's "Cybershake," we take a look at some of the Internet luminaries who got a Webby, the Net's version of an Oscar, and how they said "thanks" -- in five words or less. Plus, we take note of how computer technology is being shunned in one professional sport.

Nine years ago, the Internet was still pretty much in its infancy. But a lot of people -- both well-known names and unsung heroes -- have helped shaped the Web to what it is today.

And at the ninth annual international Webby Awards in New York this week, one particular Net figure finally received his due: Former Vice President Al Gore.

Officials at the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences honored Gore with the Webby Lifetime Achievement award in recognition of his pivotal role in the development of the Internet over the last 30 years.

Gore had been skewered during the 2000 presidential campaign for his remarks that suggested he was the Net's creator. But Vinton Cerf, one of the scientists who helped craft the actual Internet architecture, acknowledged that Gore was responsible for crafting important legislation and lending needed political support for "the information superhighway."

The former vice president accepted the award from Cerf. But like other Webby winners, the usually talkative Gore had to limit his acceptance speech to five words or less.

Thus, remarked Gore, "Please don't recount this vote."

Tiffany Shlain, founder and chairperson of the Webby Awards, said the recipients of the award reflect how "the Web has become the driving force shaping popular culture, the marketplace and society as a whole."

"The Web is being created and accessed from everywhere so it's more exciting now in some ways," said Shlain. As such, "We doubled the number of [award] categories [this year] so it really reflects everything that's on line."

For example, the recipient of the Webby for Person of the Year went to Craig Newmark, founder and operator of CraigsList.com. Based in San Francisco, the site has become a virtual flea market that appeals to everyone across the United States.

"We have many categories including jobs, apartments, dating, for sale, [and] people just talking about community or political issues," said Newmark.

And the Webbys didn't go to just well-known sites. Nineteen-year old Tyler Morgan from Amarillo, Texas, received a Webby for Best Personal Web site. His RTM86.com site, which Morgan built in his bedroom, garnered just a few dozen "hits" per day.

But when search engine giant Yahoo chose it as a "site of the Day," the number of visitors skyrocketed. In May, RTM86.com received more than 1.2 million clicks.

The appeal of his site? Says Morgan: "Everything's a picture. There's no text or anything on my page. It's all [just] a picture."