In response to your remark directed to me on
KiNA's profile, I'm not sure how I get so much reputation, either. If it were truly signs of appreciate I think I'd have way more, but people don't rep you for helping them in the tech support forum. You're lucky to even get a post of appreciation *grumble grumble* But in the past year or two I've busted out of the tech support forums and become much more active in other areas.
I think the main source of my reputation is the same as
Vexx's: forged in the heat of battle! Debates, that is
It's a bit of a gamble though, as you always risk taking a few negative reputations from disagreers. I've gotten
xris to remove some insulting negatives, but he left the negative point total. Negative reps are basically half the number that an account's positive would be, though, so those balance out pretty easily.
Graphic designers seem to get the most out of the rep system since I think they're all big on it. I actually thought that I'd have to join in graphics if I wanted to even have a chance of adding on a third or fourth box. I initially received some for opening my photography thread and for making comments in the SOTM entries, but I was a bit surprised at how much more I was getting for essentially having sophisticated brawls with people in various debates. I've sort of fallen off the SOTM/graphics bandwagon, but I've recently received an infusion of HCGs from
Radiosity that should double or even triple my working stock. HCGs are the lifeblood of my signatures! I was sort of stagnating, but perhaps this'll inspire me to try taking up signature creation again.
Ah well, the seventh box feels like it's forever and a half away from me. I'm content with six boxes. To have a 2003 join date and only have one or two boxes would have almost be shameful, it feels like. I can't be shown up by all these whippersnappers! I don't expect the seventh any time soon, given that my forum activity is probably going to get cut back by a lot in the near future. I've been somewhat of a forum addict over the past few months, and my fast rise in reputation is probably party a result of that.
It's just interesting to note how the "reputation inflation" works. I can remember back in the beginning, positive reps weren't worth more than 2 points. To get two boxes was a huge deal. Now it seems like the baseline is three or four boxes, and you can accumulate them pretty quickly because people's reputation is worth a whole lot more. If I take a break from the forums I wonder if everyone will have five, six, or even seven boxes? Not that it really matters, we shouldn't put too much stock in the rep system. It's a fun thing to play around with, of course.