Sheesh! For a Bizzarro second there, I thought I had inadvertantly stumbled into C&D by mistake =(

First, either you believe in a popularity contest for artwork posted here, or not. If not, you really don't have to worry about it further. It's not like you're paying taxes to support it. It's alright that others have something to enjoy that might be different from what you enjoy.

Second, if you do believe in the popularity contest, then I think it's hard to argue that a few votes ruin the contest. At this moment there are 946 surfers online. It's not really possible for a small clique of people to dominiate the Hot 20, mathematically.

Let's face it, the Pink Pony dominates the Top 20 for the same reasons that Tom Hanks won a People's Choice award and George W. Bush became U.S. president. The biggest flaw with any democratic system is that it relies on people to first use it and to second use it wisely.

Not that I'm really a fan of the Hot 20. I'm more of a fan of civics.

One thing the Pink Pony has done is increased the number of votes in the Hot 20. Previously you could get in with 7 or 8 votes. I've never seen an image with 70 (like the current #1). People are actually making an effort to vote!

Look, just to clarify myself here, I have no beef whatsoever with the Magic Pink Pony or with Legume. Renderosity is a community where we should feel safe to post our work without feer of being slammed about it. I felt the need to post when I discovered that an artist I love (who I will leave nameless for her sake for I doubt she would want this particular publicity) was attacked in her comments section because one of her images mad the top 20. That was my complaint, NOT the MPP. I will refrain from further mention of the MPP. I think Renderosity is a wonderful creative forum and I'm certainly not going to leave over this...I will do as I have always done and leave the Top 20 to those who need it to give their artwork value. The artwork I do, I do for me and if someone else likes it...well, that's just a perk and I'm always glad to make someone else happy. :) I will also be refraining from further posts on this topic as it is a waste of my time.

Gee, it really doesn't take much to get some of you riled up, does it? Sometimes, I am so ashamed to be part of this community. I RARELY wade into the forums because the flame wars are downright ridiculous and I can not BELIEVE the moderators even allow them. Not on any of the other communities I post in are there the problems we have right here in Renderosity. Here's a few tips to those of you having such fits (and posting such vile trash) over the "pink ponies". 1. Grow up already 2. Get over it already 3. If you don't like it (and here's the most novel idea of all) DON'T LOOK AT IT! After all, NOBODY is holding guns to any of your heads and FORCING you to click on those thumbnails. Geesh. Oh, and flame at will, I won't be back in the forums unless it's 100% necessary (i.e. I have a poser related question that nobody in my other communities can answer). Jeanette who refuses to belong to any of the "cliques and factions" or involve herself in the politics of this site.

Hi, As a man who has voted for both Legume's "art" and that of others in the past, before the whole "Hot 20" debacle even began I note with interest that people are finally recognising the power of the vote :) You can only give people the vote, you can't force them to use it "wisely" The best you can hope for is that they use it at all. If they use if for unsavoury reasons, or worse, whimsical ones :) Then at least they have used thier vote, you can't complain after the fact because had you known then you too would have used yours... Yesterday, Legume was #1 - 5, now a new entrant is closing fast on the #1 spot, so either the good burghers of Renderosty have suddenly seen the light, or, those who take this whole popularity contest thing seriously have decided enough is enough, and tactical voting has ensued, which, for the purposes of this narrative, needs only a blank canvas. Where the appreciation of "art" lies in all this is left as an excercise for the reader... :) later jb

Hi, On a purely different tack from the one above, as this is turning into a debate, and isn't likely to get any prettier the longer it gets, I move that this thread me moved to C& D wher it belongs. Unless the moderators feel that thier interests are better served otherwise. later jb

I agree with you Praxis, as far as the longer this thread gets. The worse it's going to get. A few of the comments here had my "Locked" finger twitching. Jeff and I won't allow arguing in this forum. PERIOD! I think it's time to stop commenting on this one. It wasn't started as a "give your opion" type thread anyway. It was more of a public announcement. Use the Vote function. Not words. To show how feel about this. I won't move this to C&D. Because it is Poser related. But I will lock it if I have to. ScottA

No, folks, this is about the POSER top 20, and we should be addressing it as POSER artists.

Hang on ScottA, I'm never been that regular over here at renderosity, so I just had to double-check that you are in fact the moderator, and not some loony posing as one. Jeff and I won't allow arguing on this forum! Use the vote Not words. Are you straight back from smashing up the latest Anti-globalisation demonstration or something? What is that riot police mentality? Frankly I'm amazed. The MPP has stirred up a debate (and I think it was meant to) about what constitutes art and worthhile art. It's a debate that strikes many people hard - perhaps because they are having to reevaluate the value of what they themselves have been striving to produce with so many hours of patient practice. I'm not surprised people are arguing, and its the healthiest thing I've seen in this forum (it's also the reason I've started looking at the galleries again and making an occassional post). "Stop it now folks or I'll lock you out(up?)", is hardly an attitude that supports a spirit of free expression, and the investigation of ideas -which is presumably while most of us making pictures. I like the MPP, and even more I like what is trying to do. But most of all, I like the fact that it has kicked some people into thinking and arguing about what their 'art' is really all about. Somebody above said "I never understood Warhol until I saw the MPP". I am beginning to share that view. Let's hope that those of us who think that idea needs to be talked and argues about are not locked out for daring to use words. angola (Nick Underwood)

I see no more reason to continue this thread. I believe it has served it's purpose. If you want to argue. Go someplace else. This forum is for Poser software issues. ScottA