All,
Here's a suggestion for chosing the photos: make the process anonimous, ie, the photos proposed for election - in a separate gallery - would only show a number for id. After the votes were cast and the pictures chosen, the authors would be revealed.
Since this would naturally require new photos (as the ones already online are fully identified), this would have to be treated as a 2-3 month project, in time for the year-end show, or the calendar, or...
It would be fun, judging the pictures solely on merit and at the same time trying to guess who's done what, based on style...
OK, probably too complex for programming - Jorge, excuse me for suggesting this much work - but I feel that simply introducing this competitive spirit (voting, ratings, judging, committees) risks spoiling the good environment we have here. Just think of all the rating wars in photo.net, and yes, it is all about pride...anonimity is the only anthidode.
Rgds, Marcelo