Hi

To pushinfaders:
As I previously stated I wasn't making a personal criticism just making an observation. You supplied the methodology by which the challenges are scored. As a member I checked for myself and found the result to be wrong which I queried at the time, even supplied the relevant information. It took a couple of minutes to do. If those who administrate the forum don't have time to check voting results and liase between themselves to verify the results, then I am willing to volunteer my services to provide a secondary check of the results, after the challenge is declared closed.

To tomdart:
This forum consists of beginners, amateurs, keen-amateurs, semi-professional and professional photographers. What may be "generally accepted" to a professional photographer will not be to a beginner or an amateur. If the end image is all we have to go judge by then obviously the "professional" and heavily postworked image will generally appear more pleasing to the eye. How can we make an informed choice if the information is not supplied, especially if we have two that are similar e.g. see the 1st and 2nd place winners in the April challenge? It may be that information that will allow us to "see" which image is closer to the original image.

To inshaala:
What's the point of having a rule if you can't enforce it? If you don't define the rules or set boundaries within the rules then the rule becomes a mockery. for example, If you have a football (soccer) competition and say that each team must have a goal, but you are left to set your own width of goal, and the organisers don't have time to check that you are complying with the established and "generally accepted" dimensions or constraints. Then what happens is that those who wish to bend the rules, do, and win the competition. The competition then becomes meaningless and those who do follow the rules and live within the spirit of the competition become disillusioned and decide not to participate in future competitions. 

To All:
Suggestion 3.

1. Set challenges, we all need a challenge
2. Have the rules about not using our stock images, so that we go out and shoot something fresh.
3. Make the challenge non-competitive ( no voting on images). This will ease the burden on administrators.
4. Allow people to post their images in their galleries, where they can receive their plaudits.
5. Let the voting be for the choice of the next month's challenge topic with the options either submitted by the forum members or the administrators.