Gilles Tran wrote:

> 421e3e20@news.povray.org...
> 
> 
> Of the 5 top images, 4 were made using external modelers or use commercial 
> meshes. One is mostly a Wings-only image. It's not like using meshes was 
> considered a no-no in POVCOMP. Some of the comments are dissing mesh use 
> (thus honouring a long-time tradition in POV-Ray circles, even though 
> POV-Ray renderings of 3DS models were featured in the previous HOF...), but 
> overall the results say otherwise and acknowledge that tools like Wings are 
> here to stay.
> 

For the record, I personally harbor no acrimony over the results.  Nor 
do I think the judging in any way lacked integrity. I was a spendid 
contest with a splendid show of  talent and the winners without 
exception deserved their victory. But certain comments strongly suggest 
an inbuilt bias that I do not share and find deeply disheartening.

> The comments on Twin Girls and Model Expo praise the modelling done in these 
> pictures (and in the latter case it's made with Rhino, which is not a 
> hobbyist tool, something that people may frown about).

It seemed a little grudging once the atmosphere was poisoned.

  If either of these
> had won, the competition would have been heavily criticised for promoting 
> mesh use and a lot would have been said about POVCOMP being the final nail 
> in CSG's coffin. 

Well, that pretty much admits it.


The mesh vs CSG is an old, heated debate in this community
> and this is not going to change anytime soon. However, an image *** had *** 
> to win, OK?
> 

But this old debate need not have been dragged into the presentation of 
results and rubbed in the faces of partisans of this controversy or 
those whose skills sets may actually limit them to certain techniques.

> The winner is a POV-only picture AND it also happens to be a fantastic 
> picture. 

I truly admire the picture, I am not seeing this issue in terms of any 
of the pictures.


As I've said already in this group, what counts is whether or not
> the author uses the right tools to reach his/her artistic and technical 
> goals. 

That's a little shaky now.


The winning image used CSG very wisely with superior results, that's
> all.

The winning image was a superior image.


> 
> About the comments: they reflect the opinions of the judges who felt like 
> commenting on this or that image, but they are not representatives of all 
> the judges. 

I have no doubt of it.

These are personal opinions, not official statements.
> 

That one is a little harder to swallow. While that may be technically 
true, they case a pall.