Contests and Favoritism and Maybe Wisdom?

I felt compelled to write this post because one time over the past few years of my online life I heard someone say that such and such a contest was all just people who were friends anyway.

So I thought I might dispel that myth before anyone thinks about snarking on the lovely Brenda Drake and her PitchWars tribe. (AMENDING TO ADD: I have heard NOTHING from anyone along these lines - everyone has been awesome, but it seemed an appropriate time to write about something I've thought about since I...