Most Informative Website

::The plasma screen changes to a series of ones and zeros, a binary code of some sort. Presumably, it means something. The squirrel robot that caused Indy so much trouble is still out there, reading away::

Robot: ...the most informative website award. Information is not created out of nothing. Not usually, at least, although it is theoretically possible to find random information, the quality thereof is always suspect and the chances of finding it at all are inversely proportional to the complexity of the medium. Nevertheless, quality information requires research, which can be a long process. But quality information by itself is insufficient. Take a look at the binary code on the plasma screen. It's taken from an image on the winning website. How many of you can even tell which image protocol it uses?

::Out in the audience, Gadget's was the only raised hand::

Robot: And how many can tell me - even in broad terms - what the image looks like?

::Gadget lowered her hand. Decoding most image compression formats would take hours with paper

and pencil::

Robot: Therefore, what we have here is a classic case of badly presented information. Despite the fact that here, on the screen, is information which can be used to identify the winning website about which you are still in the dark. In order to win this award, the website must not only have good and accurate information, but it must present it well. There is not, however, only one website which meets these criteria. There are several million, a crowd in which the wikipedia stands very tall indeed. Restricting to the subset dealing directly with the Rescue Rangers, however, leaves us with six nominated websites, apparently not including wikipedia despite their page on the Rangers::

::The plasma screen flickers and alters to show the list of nominees::

· Russian CDRR Portal
· Tanka's CDRR Pages
· The Ranger Wiki
· The Acorn Cafe
· Indy's Ranger Museum
· WAM!

Robot: Now, these websites are all, to a greater or lesser degree, informative.

Indy (offstage, whispering): Unlike this presentation….

::The plasma screen splits into six sections, arranged in two rows, each section showing one of the nominated websites::

Robot: However, even among the very best websites, there must be one that stands above the

rest, and that one is -

Indy (offstage, shouting): READ THE ENVELOPE!!!!

::A tripod scuttles up again, holding another envelope. Someone has helpfully written "You're supposed to read the winner's name from the paper inside, not beforehand from my laptop hard drive" on the envelope. The robot looks down at this message::

Robot: You're supposed to read the winner's name from the paper inside, not beforehand from my laptop hard drive.

::Indy marches onto the stage::

Indy: I didn't mean aloud!

::The audience laughs as the tripod slices off the end of the envelope and withdraws the paper. The robot squirrel
inspects the paper, then looks out at the audience while behind him the winning website expands to fill the whole screen::

Indy: THAT one you DO read aloud!

Robot: Very well. The winner is The Ranger Wiki!

::Lance strolls up onto stage, shaking hands with CCC before standing behind the podium, a broad smile on his face::

Lance: I'm honoured to accept this award on behalf of all the people who've contributed to the Ranger Wiki so far. Without all of those contributions the Ranger Wiki wouldn't have been in the running for this award. Thanks everyone, let's keep it up!

::Lance waves to the crowd in acknowledgment and exits the stage. The robot walks off the stage, followed by those tripods that are still on the stage, its voice still coming out of the speakers as it leaves::

Robot: That was the last award that I shall be presenting this evening.

Indy (muttering as he leaves): That's the last robot squirrel I let present, ever….