I agree that people should vote based on the merits of the sites involved in the battle. There are numerous cases where bitterness against an individual plays a role in how people vote, and that's not an ideal situation by any means.
However, how the owner of a site chooses to conduct himself or herself when "pitching" his or her site, if you will, undoubtedly plays a role in how sites are perceived. For example, I have been banned from some of the sites in the competition because of personal beefs that the owners had with me on other forums. Does that weigh into how I vote? Absolutely. It shows that the sites are not moderated fairly. Similarly, lack of respect on the part of the owner when he or she is pitching his or her site can, and should, be weighed when considering the site. If the owner of the forum is engaged in unprofessional behavior, who's to say that lack of respect won't cross over into how the actual site in question is run?
