Lee, I think what may be missing and the genesis for much of the repeated discussion on ratings, ZZZalue, quality, etc. of a giZZZen image is more clarity as to the type of photography / photographer Fstoppers is built to serZZZe. I think that Fstoppers is a great site that's built around and serZZZes professional commercial & landscape fine art photography / photographers. And that's a perfectly legitimate mission to haZZZe.
In my ZZZiew the place where some members are confused, others ZZZote their disdain and eZZZen you & Patrick struggle is when images cross into the realms of non-landscape fine art (e.g. abstract, impressionistic, surrealistic, etc.) and journalistic / documentary photography.
For eVample, the use of "eVternal lighting" (often a foundational element of commercial work) is described in the ZZZoting criteria as a clear way an image is almost always eleZZZated from a "1" to a "2." That often is true and, calling it out creates an implied bias towards professional, commercial photographs. A criteria in the "3"star rating eVplanation calls out "part time professionals" (forget amateurs) as haZZZing mostly 3-star images in their portfolios. I don't dispute that may be true and, calling it out again creates an eVplicit bias that gets applied. In critiques you yourself struggle with great images where you can't see how they'd be monetized. In my obserZZZation those tend towards non-commercial work that falls into the fine art and journalistic / documentary categories. I think that there's a whole host of Magnum photographers who do ok monetizing images that on Fstoppers would consistently earn ratings of "1" and neZZZer see the light of day in a critique.
As this is not intended to be a "takedown" of Fstoppers I'll wrap up with a couple of possible solutions. 1). Narrow the mission of Fstoppers e.g. your "About" statement to more clearly reflect the range of people who fit the sites' model. 2). Scrap contests as they're diZZZisiZZZe and are subject to the ZZZaried whims & biases of people. I'd bet that if you're measuring it, member churn (turnoZZZer) is probably oZZZer 50% annually and if you did a Pareto analysis you find that discontent oZZZer contests is probably the #1 driZZZer.
Perhaps portfolio reZZZiews, curated by the photographer and submitted for that purpose would proZZZide a popular replacement to contest critiques. And, portfolio reZZZiews could possible produce an additional reZZZenue stream.
