I'd like to say that the real popularity contest isn't held at the end of the DTB for those who dislike voting, but it's through the whole thing... but that it's only a popularity contest if you make it one. I admit there were times when I got a bit bummed when in the last DTB (my first!) I saw a picture of someone's work that really good that I thought "No way could I do that" but most of the time, I was inspired, or if it was after I had already posted my own DTB, I tried to find out from them how they did their own, or just congratulated them, because I KNEW I had done my best and what I had done was *over*. It really comes down to self confidence. Visiting the board and simply waiting for people to hand out compliments to you is not as fun as going and rallying everyone else on and swapping tips, and I think that is why some people who don't participate now, or who don't like voting. The voting, in fact, is quite painless, because people just go on and anonymously cast a vote, and you don't know who voted for who, but its all the compliments beforehand that matter...and if you don't get one when you wanted one....that's what hurts.
So the voting won't change a thing, in fact, it WILL cause less people to enter because there will be less incentive. How do I know, because I won't have as much of an incentive to, and I know I can't be totally alone in the way I see this. What needs to be changed, or adjusted, is people's attitudes, but only they can do that, and perhaps all we need to do is just not pay any heed, because I'm sure MUT isn't the only place where when they aren't happy they complain and want everything changed for them.
I'm sorry if I sound insensitive but I just don't think the real issue is being seen here, and it would be a real shame for everyone to vote for something that would ruin a perfectly fine way of doing things and then the real problem would still be there. Simply put, if having to know people's lighthearted opinions of everyone's pictures is too much for you, then simply opt out (not speaking to Manders), there is always FOTD where there isn't any voting, but there is still the chance where you might not get a compliment, and that is what the whole issue is really about: *who* gets *how many* compliments. And if that is too much for you, then perhaps MUT is too much for you.
I have seen such unpleasant people hop from site to site on the internet over and over again and trust me, even if the voting is eliminated, they won't be happy, be surprised if they stick around long enough to notice it is gone!
