The original "Best of the Web" got its start in 1994 when Brandon Plewe, then a student at State University of New York, Buffalo, created a platform enabling the burgeoning online community to nominate and vote for best-of-class websites in a variety of categories. From the initial concept of Web Awards, Best of the Web transformed into a comprehensive directory categorizing content-rich, well designed websites. Whether the topic at hand is choosing a college, refinancing a mortgage or planning a party, BOTW is the first stop of many an Internet user.