You're overestimating how much the opinions in this thread bother me. Yes, they're annoying, but seeing a good bunch of deserving people get to the conference as their reward for the effort they've put into the community counteracts the annoyance of silvermountain et al continuing their campaign against the Council (that suggests a level of organisation which, of course, is lacking: I'm not suggesting this is an Anti-Council Council. No, everyone knows it's the Anti-Council Cabal ;-))

I get respect from the people I respect; I don't care whether or not I get it from people I don't.