The Reputation System

[sirdarksol]

The reputation system is a method of recognizing others for helpful posts. It is not meant to be purely a popularity contest, and there is nothing compulsory about it. In the end, it is meant to encourage people to provide well-written, thought-out, helpful posts.

In the upper right-hand corner of each post is a scales symbol. Clicking this symbol on someone else’s post gives the option of adding to the poster’s reputation. There are two options once the symbol has been clicked on, as well as a text bar. You can either give positive reputation or negative reputation. In addition, a reason may be put in the text box.

You may provide 10 rep points in a day, and must give rep to three different people before giving “repeat” rep. For example, if I recognize a post of Disgruntled’s, I must then recognize three posts from three separate people before I can recognize Disgruntled again.

When giving positive reputation, do not give it merely because someone agrees with you, or because they were pandering, and do not withhold it simply because someone disagrees with you. It is understandable that you will be less likely to give reputation to someone with an opposing viewpoint, but a polite, well-stated post deserves recognition, even if you do not agree with it.
Likewise, it is understandable that you are more likely to give reputation to a view similar to your own, but a post that just says “Yeah, you’re right”, or is offensively or poorly worded does not deserve recognition.
There is nothing wrong with thanking someone publicly for a post and including a statement like “rep+”, or to request that someone else provide a positive rep if you aren’t allowed to do so, but this does not in any way compell the recipient to then act in kind. Save the reputation for posts that actually deserve it.

Giving negative reputation is a lot more sensitive than giving positive reputation. First of all, think very carefully about whether or not the post requires it. I have only given negative rep three times in a year or so of posting on forums, and each time was where a forum member was being extremely childish and belligerent, and the member’s posts were made for the sole purpose of detracting from a thread.
Second of all, a reason for the negative rep must be entered when giving the rep. This is not meant to be punishment so much as a method of criticism, and if the reason for criticism is not known, it has little or no effect.

Abusers of the reputation system will suffer repurcussions determined by the Administration and Moderators. The more serious the abuse, the greater the repurcussion. If you feel that someone is abusing the system, please let us know. Do not confront others about it.
I do not expect that this will ever be necessary, though. I have seen, on many forums, the reputation system work very well with little or no help of the Moderators.

So post on. There is nothing wrong with striving to get better reputation by posting helpful posts. It strengthens the reputation of the forum itself.