Folks,
We’re delighted to let you know that Aodhan Cullen (founder and CEO of StatCounter) has been chosen as this year’s Internet Hero at the eircom Golden Spider Awards! The award, sponsored by Business and Finance, was created to recognize an individual who has made a significant contribution to the development of the internet.
Aodhan was honored to receive the award from last year’s Internet Hero, Dr. Denis Jennings.
Here’s a transcript of the speech given by Aodhan last night as he accepted the award in the Burlington Hotel in Dublin…
- Once upon a time, there was a little boy who lived in Castleknock [residential area in Dublin, Ireland]. Although small for his age and quite shy, this young chap was also very determined… he wanted to earn some extra pocket money [allowance] and he wanted to earn it NOW!
- The judges for choosing me.
- All the team at eircom and Business & Finance for organizing tonight’s event.
- All my family & parents – who still to this day, get calls asking about CV [résumé] typing!
- And of course my wife Jenni who is thrilled to be Mrs Internet Hero 2008!
- Thanks also to my colleagues on the StatCounter Team and all the StatCounter members worldwide – without their loyalty & support I wouldn’t be here tonight.
So, despite being just 10 years of age, he put an ad in the Golden Pages [telephone and business directory] for typing services… “£2 / page & a free copy with that!”
Although he counted doctors, professors & other highly qualified people among his clients, I can assure you that 10 year old had absolutely no idea that 15 years later he would be standing here tonight before his peers to accept such a prestigious award.
“Business Link” that first typing business is no more but these days I work on StatCounter – a free online visitor stats tool that helps 2 million website owners and bloggers worldwide understand and optimise their websites. If you haven’t yet got a StatCounter on your website, then you need to get one! Look us up tomorrow!
I am thrilled & humbled to be the recipient of this year’s Internet Hero Award. Tonight I’m being presented with some big shoes & I hope I can fill them.
I’d like to thank a few people:
Finally, I want to thank all of you sitting here tonight, my friends & peers in the internet industry – many of you have offered advice & support to me over the last 15 years, in some cases just via email or message boards so that we have never actually met in person. To one and all – thank you!
And I look forward to trying to live up to my new title in the next 12 months.
Goodnight and God bless!
We, the StatCounter Team, don’t think Aodhan will have any trouble living up to the new title… look how well the suit fits?! 😉
Aodhan,
Kudos for such a young man working this hard to make a product globally accepted as top notch. Your future is bright.
Tom
Very well deserved!
Congratulations!
It’s not often I would say good old superman is inadequate but in Comparison to Aodan and the Statcounter team he is decidely so.
Thank you and the team for the brilliance, dedication, support and knowledge you all have provided over the past years. Such a well deserved award.
Cheers
Deb 🙂
Superb!
I been here for about 1 year and a half, and I been using the statcounter of Aodhan Cullen with strong benefit.
I want now to congratulate him for his success and I hope that he stays around helping us to improve our internet.
I Love this Game, Internet…
Baptista
http://ttaxi.pt
Congratulations to Aodhan………a “true” hero of the internet.
You have indeed developed an awesome internet tool.
Congratulations on your award!
Aodhan:
I came to your page by chance and now… I feel at home… Thanks.
Congratulations you for the award… You deserve.
Congratulations, you deserve it and the whole team too.
party time 🙂
Congrats Aodhan for being honored with the title of Internet Hero.
and hey, Statcounter team, i think the suit fits in pretty well 😉
cheers.
Hearty congratulations on this great acknowledgment…much deserved to be sure.
Here’s wishing continued success and growth for StatCounter….a fantastic tool that delivers consistently above abd beyond expectations!
I absolutely adore the start of your ‘speech’ … “Once upon a time, there was a little boy who lived in Castleknock…” and I am proud for you, and the achievements you have achieved thus far. I pray 2009 will bring you more awards and recognition in the field, and soon boost not only your SC Platform but also all other projects in store.
All the best Aodhan! + Lord Bless 🙂
Congrats and well deserved. It’s about time we hear good news other than what we have read this past week.
Congrats and keep up the good work!
Well; he should be awarded the “SpiderMan of the Internet”.
Congrats Aodhan.
I hope the StatCounter as a company goes a way forward from what it is now and also becoming insipration for the budding new businesses.
hats off
Congratulations! You’re the Super-ManStat (or, better, The Super-Statcounter)!
Congrats!
Statcounter has been an unmissable part of my web publishing.
Many Thanks,
Ray
Congratulations Aodhan, you really look like Hero also and I am a true fan of statcounter
Best ever internet visitor counter. Easy to use, easy to read statistics and best of all free!!!! Well done!
I really like to use Statcounter, simple and useful. Thanks.