We have talked this one to death. The hot 20 can suck you in the same way that comments can. Even when you understand that it's a popularity vote it is still hard to ignore. Like comments, it can become an obsession. The very reason that we display our art here is have it be viewed and accepted by other people. The hot 20 re-enforces that drive to be accepted. It took me months and a few mass deletes to figure this out but I have concluded that there isn't anything about this place that should be taken too seriously. For example, no offense to Apophysis lovers but I seldom see flames that I find interesting anymore, yet there are always flames in the hot 20. I am OK with that. I don't care. Lots of us like flames and that's cool with me. As far as comments go, when I ask for help, I get it. It just happened on my most recent image and I appreciate it. I have given help but after offending a few strangers I learned not to do it with them. If you get help from me it's because I know you and I have confidence in you. Take it as a complement. I think that the hot 20 is fine as is. I'll be honest and say that I think that my TIA images should have been all over it, but only a couple have made it there. I have stopped wondering why things like that happen or not, mostly because it isn't worth getting excited about. I speak from experience, it doesn't matter what happens in the hot 20. Whether you are always at the top or never make it there, it does not matter. Take it and everything else here with a grain of salt. Just have fun. That's the bottom line. Don't count comments and don't sweat the hot 20.