Web-site Ratings for The Mayoral Candidates
These are my subjective ratings of the mayoral candidate's web-sites based on having regularly observed them since they've been up.
I give a letter grade each for:
Design
Writing/content
How well I get to know the candidate from the site
How often it is updated
I then give an overall grade.
Here we go in no particular order:
Wayne Taylor-After he finally took down his initial disaster, he replaced it with something almost as bad. The only thing it has are dates and places for his public meetings (still without the times posted) and that huge and awful photo of the candidate graced by the flag on a large cross in the background. Huh? Flag? Cross? Huge photo? Is this an ego thing?
design D
writing/content D
how well I get to know the candidate from the site D
how often it is updated D
overall grade of D.
writing/content D
how well I get to know the candidate from the site D
how often it is updated D
overall grade of D.
Trudy McFall-Well done, and full of information, details, photographs and even a video. Well organized, active, easily navigated and links to Facebook site. Could be improved with some more testimonials or information about supporters and campaign updates.
design A
writing/content A
how well I get to know the candidate from the site A
how often it is updated B
Overall grade A
Frank Flyntz-Although it has been up for perhaps the longest of any candidate, there have been no updates for months and it's pretty much just thin gruel. As mentioned before, the picture of Flyntz in his navy uniform with his cartoon-like navy jet logo is a bit much. It's the only picture of him and he remains mysterious as reflected by the fact that there is no phone number or email and local activists don't seem to know the man. Of the three other photos on the site, one is Main Street with gold and blue "N" flags for Navy, a shot of the Academy and one of the State House. Is he running for mayor or superintendent of the academy?
design B
writing/content C
how well I get to know the candidate from the site C
how often it is updated D
Overall grade C minus.
Josh Cohen-Well done and full of photos, videos and clearly shows momentum and organization. Links to Facebook site. Needs more information about voting record and accomplishments as elected official. If anything, this is too well-done and too slick.
design A
writing/content B
how well I get to know the candidate from the site B
how often it is updated A
Overall A
Sam Shropshire-Looks good with lots of photos, testimonials and heavy on the issues, including a really nice video laying out Shropshire's vision for Annapolis. It has been updated a lot and includes information about volunteers, supporters and testimonials. Could use more information about voting record and accomplihsments as alderman.
design A
writing/content A
how well I get to know the candidate from the site A
how often it is updated A
substance and written content. A
Overall grade A.
Zina Pierre-It looks good, but sizzle is one thing and this site needs more steak. The cover page sailboat photo may not even be from Annapolis. There are way too many head-shots of the candidate which appear to be professionally posed and modeled and a lot of photos of her with big-wigs and muckety mucks including one of her reading the Bible with President Clinton. Her "issues" portion is mainly platitudes and the "facts" about Annapolis are cute but not terribly pertinent and I don't feel I get to know a lot about the candidate.
design A
writing/content C
how well I get to know the candidate from the site C
how often it is updated B
Overall C.
Chris Fox-This site feature what is perhaps the best writing and content of any site, but the site only looks good, not great. I don't like the use of stock photos and the local shots of the candidate could be improved. It is unique in that it has a section in Spanish and that section is well written too. He links to Facebook and MySpace and also to CP, in addition to a lot of inactive blogs.
design B
writing/content A
how well I get to know the candidate from the site A
how often it is updated C
Overall grade of B.
Gil Renaut-It's clear this site is done on the cheap, but even so, the candidate could easily put in more text for us to learn about him. There is a headshot of him at a site definitely not in Annapolis and an interior headshot but nothing with him and neighbors, family or friends--except there is one of his grandson, but c'mon--this is a web-site for a political campaign, not an ad for baby food. He does link to CP but this site has a long way to go before it reflects the experience, and complexity of this candidate, a longtime civic activist and federal trial lawyer.
design C
writing/content C
how well I get to know the candidate from the site C
how often it is updated C
Overall grade C
Dave Cordle-In a word--uneven. Too much bibliographical information in a long list, but not enough about his platform, voting record and issues. A resume does not really tell us about the candidate. For example, we learn that 16 years ago he was an Outstanding Young Annapolitan Finalist and that he is an Expert Witness in various areas of law enforcement, but I'd like to see him show his record as alderman and provide more in his own words. No updates for two months.
design B
writing/content B
how well I get to know the candidate from the site C
how often it is updated C
Overall Grade C.
Finally, speaking of all these web-sites...a number of them as well as some for aldermanic candidates, sport an image of the city seal-- the royalist thorn and crown thing that Ellen "O" loves so much. I have repeatedly asked the City's Office of Law for almost two weeks for an opinion as to whether this is an illegal use of the official municipal seal. I have yet to get a reply, which is typical, but I think it is an inappropriate expropriation and believe that the candidates should remove them voluntarily. What do you think?
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7 Comments:
Why not include links to your ratings so we can view the sites for ourselves?
Dear Dennis
Thanks for your note!
You know that you can easily get to the sites whether I provide the link or not. There are already three mayoral candidates whose ads you can simply click. Perhaps if all the candidates would advertise here for the paltry sum I charge and the miserable amount of money I earn here by providing this free service and by providing them with free publicity, readers could easily click on those ads anytime and go right to the site as they can for the candidates now advertising. Should I keep giving this intellectual property away for free? I should expect to earn more than a few pennies or a few dollars a day here-yes?
The presence with a website is much better than without one however, do you really believe that a rating of a website portrays the character of a person or the better the website the better the product, person or service. I think that if a person has the money they have all the bells and whistles -- money isn't always a solve all to problems but we aren't talking about money here -- we are talking about the content of information that is relevant to the mayoral campaign.
CP as always will have an opinion. The readers should be expected to develop THEIR OWN opinion and make THEIR OWN decisions based on the given facts (not opinions) However, I have to say, when CP gives accolades about something its usually right... I'll keep the negative opinions to myself. Thanks for posting
B-OWT
Thanks B Tucker.....It's not about money. I'll bet if you did a poll, you'd find that there is little correlation between my ratings and how much a site cost. If you are running for mayor and scrape money together for a good site--that should say something. If you can't, that should say something as well. But, besides that, anyone can start a site for free. A professional can be had for a basic site for a few hundred dollars. Rather than go into details, it should suffice to say that "bells and whistles" don't make a good web-site and the fancy level of some sites did not impress me. I tended to weigh heavily on content and how ell I got to know a candidate. I urge you to look at the ratings more carefully and send me your own grades. Thanks for the note...peace...out....who loves ya baby?
Websites are important to the voting community. As a voter, one has the ability to get info while at home, This is a great luxury if you are not in a position to get out to the public forums the candidates have. Or financially afford to attend an event.
Also, relying on the newspapers for info on candidates will only give you so much info due to space and cost. Therefore, websites are arguably the best way to get your message to the masses of voters. You have an enormous amount of space to use to spread your message AND you can get far more detailed on the issues.
The two best sites I've seen so far in this election--when calculating all that CP is looking for--are the sites of Trudy McFall and Sam Shropshire.
On issues directly concerning my neighborhood on Clay St and of issues related to the future of Annapolis (especially the downtown harbor), these two candidates have some great ideas as well as a track recod of actual work in the city. If only Annapolis could get a hybrid version of both of them! heheheh...
Ellis Thanks much for your comments as always. You'll notice that I gave McFall and Shropshire the best grades as did you. Great minds think alike...or some such thing. Please keep us posted on the police-traffic situation going on at Clay Street.
Paul, thank you for reviewing the websites. We appreciate your and your readers' critiques readers. In today's world many voters look to the web for information. Keep us honest. Lee Caudle, Campaign Manager, Shropshire for Mayor
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