Awards and press
Appreciation under the eruption
IMO web team appreciates comments like these from Sandra, 17 May 2010, although the webcams we link to are not run by us:
"Thank you for providing a daily activity summary on your website that's in English. It's very helpful to have your experience and authority to rely on for accurate reports on the current eruption in Eyjafjallajokull. The webcams have been very much appreciated and hopefully those will continue to transmit the visual picture for us here in the States."
Users are satisfied with the IMO web-site
A survey shows that 90% of users are very pleased with the IMO web (Icelandic version). More precisely, 57% consider it very good, 34% good, 8% average, less than 1% find it deficient and only one replier found it unacceptable.
Between 14-15 March 2008 the survey was open to all users of the site. No group in particular was encouraged to participate above others. The web software surveyconsole.com proved reliable and of 558 attempts 504 completed the list of questions.
Asked what they liked best about the web-site, most mentioned some of the following:
- Clarity and graphical presentation of weather
- Earthquake information in addition to weather
- Quantity of information and knowledge
Just over 60% claimed to use this web every day and about 90% daily or a few times a week. General satisfaction neither depends on age, region nor pattern of use.
Users with ISDN connections to the internet seem as satisfied as other users. This suggests that reduced speed does not affect the actual use of IMO's web-site, although somewhat aggravating to those already accustomed to greater speed.
The next step, according to the original analysis of needs and demands, is to design and implement a lighter version of the web-site for mobile phones and for slower internet connections.
Best web in public service
In February 2008, the Icelandic Meteorological Office received an award from SVEF, Samtök Vefiðnaðarins (Society for the Icelandic Web Industry), for the best Icelandic web-site in public service during 2007. Over one hundred sites were nominated in eight categories.
The awards committee commented that „rarely, have they seen a more successful overhaul of a web-site. Everything is to the site's credit - the user interface is well designed, useful and accessible. The site is fully interactive, making it possible to browse the latest information about weather conditions and earthquake activity. The best web-site in public service is www.vedur.is “.
Europe's most accessible weather?
One of the main newspapers in Iceland published an article in July 2007, claiming that the Icelandic Meteorological Office runs one of the most accessible meteorological web-sites in Europe.
The article was written by a specialist from SJA ltd, who certify web accessibility for users with disability. When launched seven weeks earlier the web-site had already achieved such certification based on the international WAI or Web Accessibility Initiative.
IMO fullfilled criteria 1 and 2. A short survey of other meteorological web-sites in Europe (using WMO list for region 6) had revealed that none of the web-sites would have fullfilled criteria 2. Only two web-sites would possibly have passed criteria 1 after making certain changes.
Therefore, IMO can proudly claim to run one of the most accessible meteorological web-sites in Europe with regard to users with disability.
