[KholdStare]

Originally Posted by felix

<snip>

You should re-read my post. No one is making rules. I simply made my observations based on the position/negative reputations that I have received/given and analyzed how it affected my and others' posting behavior.

To everyone else, for clarification:

I am not saying negative reputations must be constructive. I am stating the effect of non-constructive neg rep's on posters, especially newcomers, as exemplified below:

Originally Posted by Woopzilla

Also, KholdStare is correct that it discourages people from joining discussions and fully expressing their opinions... I'm one of them. I usually try to sugarcoat my posts in order for people not to take huge offence. For newer members like myself, we get discouraged to express our opinions after receiving our first neg rep that's accompanied by a big ugly capslock message (which will greet us for months everytime we go into the control panel as it doesn't get downed away too fast... we're new in the community after all). Since, then I've pretty much refrained from posting in discussion heavy threads. You may say that's silly on my behalf, but that's just the way it turned out and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Thanks for being an example. I really think something is wrong when newcomers refrain from posting in discussion-heavy threads because they are wary of negative reputations. And since this is one of those threads, I thank you for doing so. +1

Originally Posted by Woopzilla

Disabling neg rep would take away the only tool those 'closet haters' have and force them to present their feelings to my post with another post, which would probably be more insightful and less offensive than an anonymous short non-sensical/hurtful phrase.

I never thought of that, viewing them as a tool, but I can see how it could be "abused" as such.