EAE Award Winners 2003
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Sev
Trek (January 2003)
There
is no need to explain what Sev Trek is. Everyone surfing Star Trek websites
knows the weekly cartoon series created by John Cook. It must have been five
years ago that I first ran across Sev Trek. I immediately loved it and still do
today. What I appreciate most is that Sev Trek is affectionate. Unlike other
forms of comedy, this genuine parody takes its inspiration from Star Trek and
its characters and does not impose its own humor on a "victim". It is
a cartoon for fans. Countless clichés and inconsistencies of Star Trek have
already been dealt with in Sev Trek, and there is still plenty left to care about.
Visitors are invited to make suggestions for new cartoons and to submit
punchlines, and thousands of fans take part every week. The Sev Trek website has
an extensive cartoon archive from "Jurassic Trek" to
"Enterforaprize", plus countless other features. The only remaining
mystery is: What does the word "Sev" mean?
Ult-Enterprise
and e:earth
(February 2003)
Maintaining a website about a TV series currently on air requires regular
updates and therefore a good deal of patience and diligence. As soon as the new
series was announced, a large number of Enterprise websites came to existence
before even the first episode aired. Most of them didn't last for long, and some
of them are sadly missed. But two sites have survived until today and are better
than ever: e:earth and Ult-Enterprise. This alone should be worth an award. Both
sites have plenty of "the usual stuff" like an episode guide, reviews,
galleries, multimedia and a discussion forum. Both have a pleasant original
design and are technically largely flawless. The decision between the simplistic
layout of e:earth and the more sophisticated look of Ult-Enterprise may be a
matter of personal preference. It would be hard to decide which of the two sites
would rather deserve it, so I decided that both of them are winners. The EAE Award for
two websites with faith of the heart!
Flare
Sci-Fi Forums (March 2003)
The Flare Forums are renowned as a place where Trek topics, particularly of the
technical kind, are discussed in more detail than elsewhere. I came to the
(Solar-)Flare Forums more than four years ago, when Frank Gerratana suggested
that I should register there, probably tired of reading my lengthy e-mails about
starships ;-). In the following, the discussions with fellow Treknologists
broadened my horizon and provided permanent inspiration. Most importantly I
found friends at Flare. It needs to be said that it is not the place for
newcomers to gain respect easily, but that lies in the nature of a community
that has been growing for almost seven years and that is not confined within the
limits of "serious" Trek discussions. There is certainly not much
specific to say about the content, which is dynamically created by the board
members. So it remains to be mentioned that credits for creating and carefully
maintaining and updating Flare goes to Charles Capps. Congrats!
Linguistics
Database
(April 2003)
I'm usually no friend of gender role clichés, but some sites strike me, in a
very positive sense, as being a woman's work (especially since male Trek fandom
still seems to be dominated by "my cannon is bigger" stereotypes). This month's
winner, Linguistics Database, is simply best of the best design-wise, already
with the fourth version (of which all were fabulous). Content-wise, it is
nothing less than the probably most extensive and fastest growing database of
fan work about Enterprise and specifically about Hoshi Sato. I think B&B
ought to have a look at Linguistics Database, in order to get an impression what
potential is in their underused characters. Well, I probably wouldn't like all
the stories, but this is just the advantage of a well-maintained collection: to
let visitors pick their favorites and perhaps discover new ones. The
fan-submitted work and the discussion forum surely make up the main part of the
site, but the rest is just as carefully designed and frequently updated.
Congratulations to webmistress Judy!
Jason
Hinson's Physics and Star Trek Page (May 2003)
At the first glance Jason Hinson's work, which he has frequently posted in the
rec.arts.startrek.tech newsgroup for years, seems to be made for the die-hard
Treknologists only. But it is much more than just another fan conjecture about
how fictional technology could work. Holding a Ph.D. degree in physics, the
webmaster applies real-world science without neglecting facts and observations
from the Star Trek Universe. It is the closest that we could come to describing
a world which was never meant to be scientifically correct after all. Clearly
some of Jason's work is hard to understand, as it requires a solid knowledge
about physics and mathematics up to the principle of tensors in general relativity. But there is still enough to learn also for the average fan, and
also about things outside the Star Trek Universe. Because of Jason's excellent
examples of Special Relativity, for example, I myself finally understood the
so-called "Twin Paradox". Thanks to Jason Hinson for a great lesson on
Trek and real physics!
Star
Trek Renaissance (June 2003)
Star Trek Renaissance is a script-based series written with the same industry standards as a real TV
drama. Proposed by Harry Tusa and supported by other fans who were disappointed
with the course Star Trek had taken under B&B's lead, it has gained enormous
popularity in the online community. One reason for the success is the high
quality standard for the scripts. In a real group effort, script submissions are
being discussed and modified, until they are included to the series. Star Trek
Renaissance has been running for over two years and is currently approaching the
end of its second season. Aside from the scripts themselves, which are published
in PDF format for convenient offline reading, a wealth of accompanying features
has been developed, ranging from a technical manual to Dr. Bob's stunning 3D
artwork. Dan Carlson, who has been with the staff from the beginning, has
recently revamped the Renaissance website, which is both well-designed and very
informative. My congratulations to Executive Producer Rob Jelley and the rest of
the staff, who are keeping up the idea of a creative and exciting Star Trek
Universe!
Spike's
Star Trek Page (July 2003)
Spike's
Star Trek Page is a treasure trove for anyone seeking particular uniforms,
interiors, graphics or displays, Starfleet officers or starship names. Or for
anyone who just likes browsing through richly illustrated pages full of
information. Where usual databases only have information on the Enterprises, the
most frequently seen uniforms and the most prominent personnel, nothing is too
obscure to be listed on Spike's site - from a display of the Melina IV Planetary Medical Database
to the Yonada Oracle Room. I have been following the site's development for over
three years. As I am doing regular updates of my own website too, I can understand
and appreciate the dedication and the diligence put into Spike's Star Trek Page.
Its layout is plain and simple (and its similarity to the EAS design may be just
the reason why I like it ;-)). Congratulations to Spike! Keep up your great work
and make my work easier! :-)
Bravo
Fleet (August 2003)
I have
always been reluctant to nominate RPG sites for the EAE Award, having a
preconception that
they are all alike anyway. But it was about time for another exception. Bravo
Fleet has been running for seven years and may be the biggest Trek RPG group to
date with 2000 members and 200 active simms. Several members have pointed out
the well developed storylines and the good maintenance of Bravo Fleet. But most
importantly, it's a place where many Trek fans have found like-minded friends.
Also, Bravo Fleet, with its attached large database and the webmaster services,
is more than just an RPG site. The site is maintained by FAdm Bremer and most
people probably can't imagine the effort he has put into the project (I think I
can). If only I could convince him to release the blockage of the right mouse
button (although he definitely has a point about people who think they can just
click&steal anything they need). Anyway: Congratulations to Mike and all the
members who keep Bravo Fleet running!
Belgarath.net
(September 2003)
Among
the many database sites out there, Belgarath.net excels because of its extensive
content, its easy navigation and its unique site design. The content is broken
down in a logical way into sections about the series (currently Voyager and
Enterprise), the "Library Computer" with data on technology, starships
and personnel, and the "Holo Computer" with pictures and sounds.
Unlike in many other databases of its kind, the content of Belgarath.net is
quite detailed and bears new information not only for newbies but also for
experts. The site's design is unusual in that it uses LCARS menu elements for
navigation, but doesn't desperately attempt to recreate the LCARS style
everywhere. Belgarath.net has several nicely designed graphical elements that
supplement the LCARS look, from the gray background that reduces contrast for
more pleasant viewing to individual illustrations for the single sections.
Navigation is very easy from the fixed top frame and the adaptable left frame.
It is quite obvious that a lot of thought and work has been invested into the
site, and this is honored with the EAE Award.
Trip
Hammered (October 2003)
Trip Hammered is unlike other fan websites
dedicated to a specific character. Let me borrow the description from the site's
webmaster: "Wherein we recount the embarrassments, humiliations, poking,
prodding, snotting, running around in underwear, smothering, folding, spindling,
mutilating, freezing, burning, shooting, and otherwise tormenting of Commander
Charles 'Trip' Tucker III, chief engineer of the starship Enterprise NX-01."
Trip Hammered has a synopsis, photos and a commentary about every Enterprise
episode with special attention to the various mishaps of Trip Tucker (who
happens to be my favorite character too). The recaps are humorous, exploiting
the clichés of the series, but never become overly silly or cynical. In
addition, there are random rants and an update list made up like a weblog. I
like the look of the site that doesn't need to borrow any typical Trek fonts or
styles, but comes with a "Trip and Archer in the desert" design with
original layout graphics. Even if or just
because the scope is somewhat limited, Trip Hammered is a Trek website that
truly deserves the EAE Award.
MJ's
Star Trek Portal (November 2003)
MJ's Star Trek Portal is "complete"
in a classical sense, something that many other Star Trek sites have been trying
to achieve in vain. The portal leads to three sections with different scopes,
which are marked with menu and text elements in distinct colors. The Trek
database has various information and, besides "the usual stuff",
includes an essay about the Trek philosophy, a commemoration of staff and cast
members who have passed away, and pages about the history of real space flight.
Several images, sounds, and fun clips can be found in the media section.
Finally, there is an interactive section with webmaster services, the guestbook
and the news and updates. The site design is using an LCARS theme, and is just
as sophisticated as it allows easy navigation. The only point of criticism is
the lock of the right mouse button. Online since 1997, MJ's Star Trek Portal is
among the oldest in the WWW today. Still, it is regularly updated, and it's
about time that this is recognized with the EAE Award.
Star
Trek Gamers Directory (December 2003)
I can't really tell why, but I have never
been that much interested in Star Trek computer games. Even if I'm just a bloody
beginner in this field, it is about time to reward this part of the franchise
with an EAE Award. The Star Trek Gamers Directory (STGD), only recently created
by merging the Star Trek Clan Directory and Star Trek Mod Directory, is a
perfect nominee. It is a comprehensive site for all the needs of single gamers
as well as clans. The STGD features the clan directory with a concise
presentation of each clan, as well as gigabytes worth of mods for a range of
games like Armada, Bridge Commander, Elite Force, Starfleet Command and more.
Furthermore there is technical support, surveys and contests. The site design
with its LCARS theme may not be visually unique, but it convinces because of its
straightforward navigation with all links to sub-sections on the left and links
to special features and news on the right. Congratulations to Katie, who used to
maintain the STCD, and to her co-workers at the new STGD!
Proceed to EAE Award Winners 2004
