hi chris i agree,this could work - let everything aside and take only the logic of the numbers.
the way you suggest would indeed open diversity.

i think so at least and it might even be real fun with a gift and becoming to know more people because you see all the time different names everywhere and you pop here and there,it is true there are thousand out there even millions wich we do not know yet ,could be a challenge.

Quote - The idea about independent panels was bouncing around my head again and I came up with something that would work without too much possibility for abuse.

There are, at pretty much any given time, more than 3,000 members online, which seems like a good place to start. How about randomly picking 10 or 12 judges for a month, among the active members?

It would be a great opportunity for the members to become actively involved in the process, quite democratic, and a bit like a community service - in a very positive way, of course. Maybe Rendo would also be willing to throw in a gift certificate or something, at the end of the month, as a little 'Thank You'.

The panel members would be taken off the eligible candidates' list for the next eleven months, which pretty much guarantees diversity, opens the way for varying opinions and perspectives - and curbs favoritism.

I realize that some members would be less than enthusiastic and others simply won't have the time to look through the postings and make their picks, but we have a lot of members! I'm sure we could find many who'd love the opportunity. It seems better to me, than asking directly for volunteers (which might open the door for too much favoritism again) and getting 'professional' judges would have even more ghastly consequences in the long run.

The nuts and bolts need to be worked out, of course, but it's any idea.