The Sad End of the FIP Websites Evaluation Program

One can read on the site of the International Philatelic Federation (FIP) as follows:

We are sorry to announce that the FIP evaluation of philatelic Web sites for 2003 has been cancelled.

"According to Francis Kiddle, chairman of the FIP Literature Commission and FIP director, Charles Peterson, the need for this action was realized last month when the requirements of other duties of the primary participants in the operation of these evaluations this summer became apparent. Entry fees already paid will be refunded. The FIP Board will evaluate and decide at the next meeting if the competition will be taken up again in 2004."

Source: http://www.f-i-p.ch/competitions/competition-cxld.htm

Please read below the message that we have sent to the President of the FIP, Mr. Koh Seow Chuan, to the chairman of the FIP Literature Commission Mr. Francis Kiddle, to the FIP director, Mr. Charles Peterson and to the Secretary of the FIP, Ms. Heiri.

Considering that what we could read on the FIP site, and the fact that no one of the officials mentioned above has reacted to our message, we can conclude, at least for the moment, that the FIP has no future plans in what concerns the Philatelic Webmastering and the Websites Evaluation Program. An unfortunate policy of the FIP, that doesn't follow the direction that is taken today by the general development of the philately.

----- Original Message -----
From: Victor Manta
To: KohSeowChuan@dpa.com.sg
Cc: cjp7777@aol.com ; franciskiddle@talk21.com ; heiri@f-i-p.ch
Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2004 11:38 AM
Subject: Future of FIP-related Philatelic Webmastering & of Website Evaluations

Dear Mr. President,

The philately on the Web became in the last years one of the fastest growing domains of philately. The Philatelic Webmasters Organization (PWO), a private organization based in Switzerland that presently counts over 270 members, has been created in order to promote, support and develop the philately through the philatelic webmastering.

Looking at the FIP Website, we have noticed that no future FIP Philatelic Websites Evaluations are foreseen on it, and that no one of the FIP Directors got assigned some specific tasks related to the philatelic webmastering.

On behalf of PWO members may we kindly ask you to inform us about the future of the philatelic webmastering as related to the activity of the FIP.

Please be informed that the PWO is always ready to collaborate with the FIP and with any other organization that is interested in the worldwide promotion of the Philatelic Webmastering.

We thanks you in advance for your interest in Philatelic Webmastering and we are looking forward to hear from you soon.

Best wishes,

Victor Manta
PWO President and Founder

For those of you who aren't informed about the crucial role of the FIP Literature Commission in the FIP Websites competition, about its positive and too often negative contributions (the opinions that came from the participants being also reproduced), I recommend you to visit the following pages on the PWO website:

http://www.pwmo.org/articles/fip-award2000.htm
http://www.pwmo.org/articles/fip-award2002.htm
http://www.pwmo.org/articles/fip-award2002-answer.htm
http://www.pwmo.org/articles/fip-award2003.htm