IAPLC 2011 winner interview...

[Aquadream]

correct me if im wrong isnt the judging now done so the top 500 are chosen, then those are split down to the top 200 by the judges, then the previous 500 are the 'public' votes and not all entrants voting..??
Maybe i remember incorrectly...

Either way it'll be interesting to see how it pans out.

You do remember incorrectly indeed.
http://en.iaplc.com/about/grading.html
The public is not involved in the voting, which I find to be a good thing, because most hobbyists have little or no idea of the high level aquascaping and therefore can not be judges casting vote on such works.
The IAPLC approved entrants on the other hand are supposedly more informed and with brooder view on which aquascape is good and which is not and I believe their vote will have some merit.
My believe is also that the people who will be allow to cast a vote will have to be with some knowledge and understanding regarding aquascaping. That is why the new rules would allow only more involved hobbyists and professionals to cast a vote.
It is all my guess.
Although I am not sure of how this voting would turn out, there is somewhat a better chance for positive change in the final grading compared to the previous way of judging.
Many think there is more open ways for corruption, but then if ADA wants to corrupt this contest who can stop them and how can anyone control this? It is all their sole enterprise.
I think the new voting system is more progressive than the old one and will very likely exalt new names in the aquascaping hobby.

 

[Iain Sutherland]

Haha, that will teach me to not check something before i post it!!

 

[ghostsword]

I think that anybody that enters can cast the vote.


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[Aquadream]

I think that anybody that enters can cast the vote.


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That's what the new grading rules are saying.
That is still limited to what IAPLC steereng committee considers an entry. If someone enters with any aquarium with two gold fish and few plastic plants I am not sure ADA would consider that as a legitimate entrant that will be casting a vote later.
It can happen perhaps, but I wish to believe that ADA's criteria is just a bit higher than basic aquatics. We are talking about aquascaping after all.