Thank you very much for the info.
Sure that the process of selection and other evaluation aspects of the essays can be improved.
However, there is a balance to the final assessment: a jury of experts, so I have understood, weigh three times the rating of the community.
Anyway it does not seem balanced to separate academics, non-academics. It's a personal opinion, of course
But for me, the most important thing is to exchange knowledge, ideas, physico-mathematical developments