I didn't suggest anyone be excluded from the contest. Nor would I because, under the current rules this is allowed.
I'm suggesting the contest is kind of pointless if anyone can buy and enter a coral without having accomplished something with the coral. Oh wait, it was acclimated to their system and a photo was taken.
Perhaps RS should have another photo contest. This could be called, "Let's see who can go out, find, buy and photograph the prettiest coral, fish, invert or whatever the subject of the month. In stead of POM it could be called PPOM (Popular Picture of the Month).
Or, let's state in the current POM contest there are no rules as to the source of the specimen as long as it resides in your tank. Actually, since we are such a diversified group geographically one wouldn't even have to buy the subject at hand because no one would know if it were in your tank. One could just do a close up photo at the LFS or crop it in Photo Shop and enter it. Who would know??? Who on RS would even care???
The rules, far from being complicated would actually make it more fair to everyone if the simple inclusion of a rule that sounds like..."You must have owned the subject for a month (or two or whatever).
It was brought tomy attention via a PM that I'm not alone in my thinking. In part the message stated, "We have had previous members comment about it and some who have stopped entering the contests." I find that interesting, does anyone else???
Dick