For one thing, nominations for the Post of the Month were nearly impossible to find. I log on to CRT virtually everyday, but searching "posts since last visit" has only once, in nearly two years, revealed the voting for Post of the Month.
Second, the P.O.M. contest was inconsistent as far as dates posted.
Yes, the same few people won, because 80% of the posts on this forum come from 6% of the membership. Rather than "punishing" posters (and I use the term "punish" very, very loosely) you should continue to reward active posters. They help CRT to thrive; a forum isn't much good without content.
You've got a relationship with cafe Press. Why not dispense some cotton for the top post in each category, selected not by membership vote but by your own esteemed self? You obviously read every word posted here, so why not award inexpensive gifts to monthly winners in every topic area? Then, all winners could go into a random drawing, held more or less at anniversary time, for ZB sessions, room stays and other more expensive prizes.
Frankly, I'm disappointed. I've won the P.O.M. contest only once, but I continue to try and answer newbie questions, publish humor, offer well-considered opinions and so on. Will I personally have less incentive to publish here? Maybe.
Just some random thoughts. Hey, and I do think yearly VIP renewals while not as "fun" still make good prizes!
