As Dave Letterman use to say, “This is an exhibition, not a competition. Please no wagering.” Not sure why that was so funny, but I always laughed when he said it.
My own personal view on COTM is that it is an exhibition of fun to visit caches. However, in no way would I assume that a COTM was really the “best” cache of the month. “Best” is purely subjective, and opinions will vary on what is “best.” Also, some of the “best” caches are rarely visited due to their remote locations or difficult terrain, so they dont get the votes for COTM. So there really is no basis for a competition, or at least there should not be.
I do, however, try to make it a point to visit COTM winners, to see what other people thought were worthy caches. Of last years COTM winners, I have visited 6 of 12, and was not disappointed with any of them. So while it is not a perfect system, it is still pretty good, and I am grateful for the choices folks have made for COTM.
As to Marc’s original question of showing the numbers, the BOD discussed this last spring, and it was our feeling that it was best not to show the numbers. In some cases, people get a little too carried away in competing for COTM, and not showing the numbers seems helpful in minimizing this problem.
zuma
Opinions above are my own, and not necessarily the official position of the WGA BOD.