Question: Should the Rep System be changed?

[Schneizel]

If rep was force-signed, you would just go and spitefully neg-rep the people who neg-repped you in the first place. The system is fine as it is.

[Lio]

Oh let those neg-reppers hide behind their mask of anonymity. What can they accomplish by silently disapproving something someone said over the internet?

[felix]

Originally Posted by Lio

Oh let those neg-reppers hide behind their mask of anonymity.

a) they are already anonymous even if you know their forum username
b) what exactly are you to accomplish by knowing their forum alias?
c) the fact you are concerned with the poster and what color the rep dot was, and not the opinion they left already shows you deserve any bad reputation you got

[Kafriel]

Giving good reasons behind negative reputation can lead to productive conversations, I always leave my name in case people want to talk about it, so neg-rep can help a lot. True, I take my share of "lol u fail" neg-reps, but I don't really care as most people know me at the threads I post.
I find positive reputation to be a good incentive for artists and graphic designers, after all they don't get anything for all the annoying little requests they do. As it's been said before, positive rep is also abused, a lot more than negative, because people just do it "for the lols". One funny post isn't reason enough, at least not for me.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by felix

a) they are already anonymous even if you know their forum username
b) what exactly are you to accomplish by knowing their forum alias?
c) the fact you are concerned with the poster and what color the rep dot was, and not the opinion they left already shows you deserve any bad reputation you got

Heh... in most cases, they fail to leave anything comprehensible or make productive use of the comment field - so its hard to be concerned about a blank or gibberish "opinion" I still find it fascinating that you're expending so much posting energy on a function you're not even participating in...

[felix]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Heh... in most cases, they fail to leave anything comprehensible or make productive use of the comment field - so its hard to be concerned about a blank or gibberish "opinion"

If you don't mind, do you have a example post? is your post a 1-liner? Daniel said it best on Page 1, "Just because we don't like it doesn't mean we didn't deserve it." Reputation was never meant to help you improve or anything of such, its just there for people to add or subtract, the messages are just a extra.

Would everyone be happy if messages for reputation were disabled? (I can try to create a plug-in for that)

Originally Posted by Vexx

I still find it fascinating that you're expending so much posting energy on a function you're not even participating in...

I was using it at one point. Frankly I think the rep system degrades discussion as is with people possibly obsessing over it (as we can see in this thread). Its pretty easy to guess what happens to posts when people focus on reputation, its no doubt any different then your average news program. Less objectivity and facts, and more injection of subjective drama in nonsensical situations ("omg look I'm unique snow flake, I can use the word 'moeblob'"). You think I'm exaggerating? 90% of the time when I see these posts they are followed by a post/edit raging over neg-rep they got.¹

Reputation encourages people to troll or just post for some form of ego-publicity enough already, no reason to make this fantasy they live in more convenient.

As for the reason why I am participating, its the same one you are participating on the forum Vexx.
__________________
¹ at least we can be thankful posters have stopped years ago using "if you like my post, rep me" signatures.

[Lio]

Originally Posted by felix

a) they are already anonymous even if you know their forum username
b) what exactly are you to accomplish by knowing their forum alias?
c) the fact you are concerned with the poster and what color the rep dot was, and not the opinion they left already shows you deserve any bad reputation you got

Huh, I have no idea what point you're trying to make. =/

My point is that I don't care about the rep system, and neither should those people who are bothered by neg reps.

[Kafriel]

Reputation was never meant to help you improve or anything of such, its just there for people to add or subtract, the messages are just a extra.

Actually I think a form of message is mandatory in order to use the negative rep function, which leads me to believe that it is indeed meant to help you improve and decrease the number of bad posts on the forums...

posters have stopped years ago using "if you like my post, rep me" signatures.

Glad I'm not as old a member

[james0246]

Originally Posted by Kafriel

Giving good reasons behind negative reputation can lead to productive conversations, I always leave my name in case people want to talk about it, so neg-rep can help a lot. True, I take my share of "lol u fail" neg-reps, but I don't really care as most people know me at the threads I post.
I find positive reputation to be a good incentive for artists and graphic designers, after all they don't get anything for all the annoying little requests they do. As it's been said before, positive rep is also abused, a lot more than negative, because people just do it "for the lols". One funny post isn't reason enough, at least not for me.

Well said. The reputation system is both a great way of providing support or thanks to those individuals that have helped you in the past, and it is a great way of providing an incentive to help other posters, either by providing information/answers to questions, or working on signatures and other images (I'm not saying that a poster would only help as so long as they got some green square thingies, and most of the time you probably will not get a pos rep for any help you may provide, but it is definitely an added bonus when you do receive a pos rep for helping another poster). A large amount of the positive reps I have received over the years have come from posters thanking me for helping them in the Suggestion Sub-Forum, or various other productive aspects of this forum I have partaken in (The other half, and most of my neg reps come from silly comments or well constructed arguments I have made (the neg reps coming more from the silly comments rather than the arguments...) ). I'm sure Vexx and others have also received thanks for the support they have provided in the Silly Question thread; etc.

[bhl88]

The rep system should be more like:

1.) Add/Subtract Reputation
2.) 3 Moderators
If approved, add or subtract reputation.
If disapproved, no addition or deduction.

A hassle, but it's better.

[Marcus H.]

It would be hell for the moderators. o_o

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by bhl88

The rep system should be more like:

1.) Add/Subtract Reputation
2.) 3 Moderators
If approved, add or subtract reputation.
If disapproved, no addition or deduction.

A hassle, but it's better.

Maybe in Utopia O.O .... the mods already have their arms full with batting down twits and keeping threads on topic (never mind the behind-the-curtain stuff).

Seriously... if you're putting out good posts or posts that provide content/interest/whatever - the posrep will simply overwhelm any negrep with time. I get negrep probably at least once a week (usually from spearing someone's sacred cow I suppose, its hard to tell because usually the negrep comment is blank, gibberish, or lacks enough info to make sense).

I could probably hit the gauntlet with negrep if I just visit the "more popular action shonen" subforums and provided my analysis. I simply don't bother as I'd rather just focus on what I like.

[Xellos-_^]

it is said a man's worth is measure by the number of people he piss off.

so if you guys got a lot of idiotic neg rep it just means you are actually worth something

[felix]

Originally Posted by Lio

My point is that I don't care about the rep system, and neither should those people who are bothered by neg reps.

You used this smilie: "" when you hover over it says pretty clearly "sarcasm" =P I know worst smilie ever.

Originally Posted by Kafriel

Actually I think a form of message is mandatory in order to use the negative rep function

Pretty sure that's something NightWish did. I know there was at one point complaints about how people got negative reputation with no message; that and I know NightWish was talking about some tweaks to the reputation system. As far as I remember the message you get when you add negative reputation was tweaked and there was talk about karma (you are subtracted reputation when you negative rep). Dunno if the karma part was ever implemented however.

[edit] 1s gonna go check if karma is in *searches for victim*
[edit] nope, its not implemented

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by felix

... As far as I remember the message you get when you add negative reputation was tweaked and there was talk about karma (you are subtracted reputation when you negative rep). Dunno if the karma part was ever implemented however.

[edit] 1s gonna go check if karma is in *searches for victim*
[edit] nope, its not implemented

Ooh... I actually like that idea a lot (the self-inflicted spell casting). The more powerful your rep... the more you should think about it

Probably not a tunable knob though....

[felix]

I don't really have anything against it, at least that way people can really not say "oh I did not deserv this"/"its spam"/"they are just trolling me" when the other guy is getting negative reputation for negative repping you. Unless I'm mistaken you require some amount of reputation to be able to distribute reputation.

I could try making a plug-in, unless NightWish already created the code.

[Cephei Mordred]

Before we continue, let's be clear about something.

Instead of "dealing with trollish behavior," it is more accurate to call it what it is, "browbeating the apparent trolls into social conformity."

Anyway, I would say to remove the negative rep, that would remove the sting of it while those who perform well will be rewarded.

[Vexx]

Interesting reformulation and has merit but not necessarily "more accurate". It depends on the specific situation. Sometimes, they really *are* acting inappropriately by even very lax thinking.

By your join date, welcome to the forums and be sure to read the forum rules.

As the mods have said, the system is what it is - and to my understanding there's no way to turn off only negative rep (those who know the guts of the forum software will certainly correct me if my understanding is wrong).

[Theowne]

Originally Posted by Vexx

and to my understanding there's no way to turn off only negative rep

On several vBulletin boards I visit there is no option for negative rep, only positive. Though there is the possibility that this is due to user mods...

[Schneizel]

Originally Posted by Cephei Mordred

Before we continue, let's be clear about something.

Instead of "dealing with trollish behavior," it is more accurate to call it what it is, "browbeating the apparent trolls into social conformity."

Anyway, I would say to remove the negative rep, that would remove the sting of it while those who perform well will be rewarded.

Then positive rep should be removed too so that people can form their own opinion on someone by themselves.