We launched the first Best of the Mac Web survey in April 2001
because nobody else was doing it. We wanted to know how Low End Mac
compared to the other sites in the eyes of Mac users.
BotMW #1
We launched the first survey on April 5, 2001, and asked your
opinion on 41 of the better known sites. Within 24 hours, we'd
expanded that to 46 sites. The first BotMW survey lasted one week,
and we didn't provide any notice to the sites surveyed until it was
already underway.
We explicitly ruled out retail sites, rumor sites, and link sites
(the kind that just provide links to other Mac sites).
We posted the results on April
12, 2001. Approximately 1,600-1,800 Mac users had participated in the
survey, and three sites were in a virtual tie for best known with
1,198 to 1,210 votes each - VersionTracker, MacCentral, and
MacFixIt.
Based on reader ratings, VersionTracker was the top rated site in
the survey, followed by MacFixIt and then MacSurfer's Headline
News.
Rest of the Mac Web
During the survey period, we also posted
an article listing several other Mac sites that had been
suggested via email. Several of these sites were included in the next
BotMW survey.
BotMW #2
We launched the second Best of the Mac Web survey on November 15,
2001 and ran it for a week. As before, we tried to make sure every
site listed in the survey was aware of BotMW and able to link to
it.
We increased the number of sites in the survey from 46 to 56, some
of which came from the Rest of the Mac Web article mentioned above.
Approximately 2,800-3,000 Mac users voted in the survey.
This time we included rumor sites, and MacOS Rumors edged out As
the Apple Turns as the best know site in the BotMW survey. However,
it wasn't anywhere close to the most respected, rating 37th place.
None of the rumor sites did particularly well.
As the Apple Turns and VersionTracker tied for first place based
on user ratings of the sites, followed by MacFixIt and then
MacSurfer.
RotMW #1
From the beginning we'd realized that our surveys only covered a
small portion of the Mac sites out there, so we ran a follow-up
survey, Rest of the Mac Web, from late November through early
December 2001. Site publishers were again notified of their inclusion
once the survey was live.
Final results were published on
December 9, 2001, and several sites from RotMW moved to the third
BotMW survey in March 2002.
BotMW #3
We scheduled the third Best of the Mac Web survey for March 2001,
ran it for two full weeks, and attempted to contact every site well
in advance of launching the poll. We drew the line at 50 sites,
including some "graduates" from RotMW, and also drew up a list of 50
other sites for the second RotMW survey.
We had approximately 4,000 votes and published
our findings on March 21, 2002.
RotMW #2
We followed BotMW #3 with our second Rest of the Mac Web survey.
This also covered 50 sites. Only 1,019 votes were cast, and we posted
the results on April 11, 2002.
BotMW #4
We eliminated the distinction between the "best" of the Mac Web
and the "rest," running a single survey covering 100 Mac-related
sites.
Low End Mac Reader Specials
Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized,
sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Opinions expressed are
those of their authors and may not reflect the opinion of Cobweb
Publishing. Advice is presented in good faith, but what works for one
may not work for all.
Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2016 by
Cobweb Publishing, Inc. unless otherwise noted. All
rights reserved. Low End Mac, LowEndMac, and lowendmac.com are
trademarks of Cobweb Publishing Inc. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh,
iPad, iPhone, iMac, iPod, MacBook, Mac Pro, and AirPort are
registered trademarks of Apple
Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.
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