"Renderdog" <slo### [at] hiwaaynet> wrote in message 
news:web.421e49cfcbe05ebab8a63dd50@news.povray.org...
> "St." <dot### [at] dotcom> wrote:
>>   Then I was right. So why entice 'other' povray users, ABX? Numbers 
>> maybe?
>> Sorry ABX, but I am pissed with this - and if anyone thinks it's "sour
>> grapes", you're SO wrong. I want to learn POV the way *I* want to learn 
>> it,
>> and use it. That's what it's there for. To use.
>
> POVComp's existence doesn't prevent you from using POV-Ray however you
> wish, it was a voluntary contest. How you were "tempted" and "enticed"
> to use it I'm not sure I want to know :-), but you certainly weren't
> forced and the rules and guidelines were there for all to read.
>


Perhaps I'll comment more on Steve's post later, but I believe that 
POVCOMP's prizes were simply too large for such a relatively small 
community.  That led to a lot of anxiety among the entrants.  Additionally, 
if there is another POVCOMP with comparable prizes, I don't think the people 
at the top will change very much.  Sure, some people may break in and out, 
but it's unlikely that I'm going to suddenly be able to create a scene as 
well as the winners.  It's not that I'm not smart enough (I hope), it's 
simply that I'm not experienced enough.  There is a big quality gap going 
from the first few images to the other images in the top 25.  While 
exceptions occur, it's generally unlikely that most of us will be closing 
that gap in the next few months.

So...  If you want to compete, it becomes like running the New York 
Marathon.  Do all 30,000 people really think they might win?  Certainly not. 
They do it because it's there, they enjoy finding out what they are capable 
of.  They enjoy seeing someone else win.

As I stated in off-topic recently, I think most of us here would be happiest 
if we simply got a free poster from Zazzle for a top finish.  That creates 
much less pressure, and in the end, I think there would be more POV-Ray 
art/renders/stuff to show.  Perhaps POVCOMP "overachieved" in regards to 
prizes.  It certainly squeezed out some good stuff, though, so my point is 
debatable.

I hope this comment is well-received.  As I've already said, I can guess how 
difficult it was to get sponsors, and I appreciate the work that was done to 
bring POVCOMP to us.

-- 
Jeremy
www.beantoad.com