Photos-of-the-Year.com - The Evolution
I would like to share some thought about POTY here after more than 2 years of evolution. The fact is, POTY is not by chance to go as it is today, it has overcome some major challenges and achieved important milestones. POTY becomes a stronger website after each evolution. The key success factor is the open and dynamic approach adapted in POTY, that reflects and responses quickly to the rapidly changing environment. However, POTY has not changed its fundamental mission that is the simple key words - Free, Fun and Value.
The open competition itself is not the most importance, but it helps to generate fun and value. It brings excitement and expectation for improvement under a more quantified environment, and as mentioned by members, the winning photographs (selected by open voting) are probably also with good marketing value.
The open competition may establish a bi-directional influence between the photographer (as an artist) and the majority. The artist presents his work that may affect the majority and the majority gives response to his art work, this is an iteration process. Actually, art itself is an evolution in my eyes.
Last point worth mention, the open competition also makes POTY out from being a simple photo gallery for storage nor a club of closely friends in similar taste …..