Re: Natural vs Garden

["James Purchase" <jpurch@interlog.com>]

Oh gawd, I was afraid that this would happen......

I did some searching thru the archives and it seems that when we first
started talking about Categories, we initially thought that it should be
done on size more than anything else...... then the kind of divisions we
have now slowly started to take shape, with the "gardens" being
differentiated from "natural or biotope" (I remember a fight over the
possibility of using "theme" tanks as a category). In hindsight, the use of
the word "natural" might have been ill-advised, I think that I really meant
"habitat"....

But I did find the following from August, 1999......

"I don't know if _anything_ has been decided about regarding "categories",
other than the fact that entries will be sorted into categories for both
display and judging. In what I have posted recently, I have deliberately NOT
mentioned the "sorts" of categories we will use because it seemed that
whenever I did so before it got _someone_ upset. I think that because this
is the first time we will be doing this showcase/contest event, going into
it with too rigid a notion of what we will receive as entries might be a big
mistake. If we announce a certain "category breakdown" in advance and then
based on the entries received discover after the fact that an alternative
scheme would be more suitable, we could find ourselves in a bind. Sort of
like "backs to the wall, arms tied behind our backs...". At least for this
year, it might be better to simply state that entries will be sorted and
arranged into "like" or similar groups, where numbers warrant. Once we get
the entries in hand, we can decide on how best to arrange them."

Of course, we didn't exactly follow that.... because we DID eventually
settle on some catergories, only we didn't pay much attention to actually
making exact definitions of each one......

I'm not on anyone's side here - it will ultimately be up to the judges - if
WE misclassify any entry (by changing what the hobbyist has requested) and
the judges slam the entry because it doesn't fit the judging criteria, then
WE end up with egg on our faces.

We HAVE published the judging criteria - there are 20 points at risk on
Selection and Use of Materials:

- Are the materials selected for use within the aquascape appropriate for
use in an aquarium?
- Are the various materials harmonious with one another? i.e. if several
rocks and/or pieces of driftwood are used, do they compliment one another or
do they produce a discordant effect?

NOWERE, does it ask the judges to rate the contents of the aquascape to be
STRICTLY in keeping with a biotope. So I can't see where the judges would be
justified in saying "that plant doesn't belong in that type of
biotope"....... at least, not if the judges are following the guidelines we
have all agreed upon. Then again, I'm not one of the judges, and they may
have other ideas.....

This is falling into one of those "expected hitches" areas that we KNEW
would come up and which will have to be fixed after the fact for furture
years.

James




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