I change the banner twice a year here on LoneSwimmer, not to a strict schedule, but roughly coinciding with pool and open water season…or when I feel like it. Today seems a good day. I took the new one during Trent Grimsey’s world record English Channel Solo, dawn after steaming out of Dover harbour mouth. You may have noticed the badge on the new banner. LoneSwimmer.com is the winner of the 2012 Blog Awards Ireland, Sports and Recreation category.

I don’t know much more than that. Here’s my dilemma: What existing category do I file this under, I don’t like category proliferation. 🙂

The initial judging criteria are below. The judging was not an open vote, but a panel of “expert judges”, which is good because we all know open Internet voting is too easily rigged. I don’t know anything about the judges, nor the particulars of where LoneSwimmer did well.

Is it knowledgeable about the subject area?

Is it written in a compelling, engaging, entertaining and/or informative style?

Does it have good spelling, punctuation and grammar?

Is the content unique?

Are the photographs/images of good quality? Are they attributed to their source?

Are blog posts written consistently/updated regularly?

Does the style of writing stay constant and is it appropriate to the subject?

Are the call to actions appropriate?

Links, when appropriate, to other blogs and websites.

Interaction on the blog in the form of responding to comments and engaging in conversations.

Attractive design and ease of navigating.

Standard of the ’About Us’ and ‘Contact’ details/pages.

Other specific criteria will apply to each individual category and these details will be published on the site closer to the judging date. (This didn’t happen).

Here are two posts that went viral in our small open water world, where viral doesn’t mean big numbers. That temperature scale, and Summer Storm on the Copper Coast.

This seems an opportune time to solicit your requests, questions or suggestions for future article or articles. Anything you want to run up the flagpole?

And thanks to you all, yet again, for visiting, it’s the readers that make this worthwhile.

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