Okay, whenever I think of rude critiques I like to go through the archives of my mind to the many moments in which I've talked more of the proverbial than any other person on this board. Add to that the couple of times when I've hounded someone for downgrading one of my works (it really was excellent! honest!!!!), and it turned out not to be them, and perhaps a couple of other nasty things I've done on this site as well... well, you get the picture... no one's perfect. To quote Bogey, 'the problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind.' Now the whole HOT20 thing... and the 'issue' of people leaving over it. I've been in the Bryce hot20 twice for the 50+ works I've done to date. Neither of them TRULY deserved it. A presence in the Hot20 doesn't really give you anything. If the number of hits one would get off r'osity people would mean anything, then this place might as well turn into Poserosity and move on. Get the drift? No one says this community is perfect. Would you rather have something like digitalart.org where self-confessed 'artistes' go over your work and decide how badly you suck compared to them? it's not a contest and there sure as hell aren't any prizes or freebies in the end. You've got 2000 people you're never going to meet looking at your work? woop-dee-doo. you should be attempting to improve your own work, not rely on others to grade it. that should only be used as a balance to your own natural vanity. As for people leaving r'osity for the crap that ends up in the hot20... that's childish, i'm sorry. i mean, wtf are you doing? you're not lowering yourself to their level by making 4 or 5 new accounts and voting for yourself, but at the same time you're not really doing yourself a service either. you're an artist, self-proclaimed or otherwise? no problem, chief, spam your work as often as you can. everywhere. make a buck off it, as long as you didn't download bryce off kazaa or somewhere, or even that, if you have the balls to sell your stuff like that. but don't take yourself out of the public eye because someone ELSE decided to be a childish little prick. If your work is worth it, 99.9% of the time it will get views, and comments, and hot20 votes. it doesn't? get better. but it's not a bloody contest and you're definetely not in it to please other people and grab their attention. and you all smell. there. i said it :P Drac