Best of the Web 2005

After a two week hiatus, I'm back - at least for a while. Distractions are numerous right now.

Congratulations to Delaware for winning the Best of the Web this year. I am trying to discover what it is that made this year's winners stand out from those who were not at the top of the list and can't find it. In the past, the differences stood out more. According to the Center for Digital Government which sponsors the contest, portals were judged on four criteria; innovation, functionality, efficiency, and economy. Delaware makes a big deal about its insourcing of the portal to save money. Maybe that's the distinguishing feature this year. Or the fact that they have a podcast of Delaware history and road conditions - I'm not sure that podcasts are the right venue for either one of those.

Regardless, Delaware has made significant improvements to their website over the past two years and that is a good thing.

Overall, however, I find relatively little real innovation as I look through all the winners compared to previous years. Let's hope for more in 2006.