My programmer reset the reputation points, so we should be back to a level playing field now.
Just to give you an idea of the numbers that were being flung about with the reputation system before I made the alterations....
That's pretty much why nearly everyone had the max string of green bars in their profile indicating their reputation points. The numbers just no longer meant anything any longer.
So, here's the changes I made in the admin panel for the reputation options:
What is NOT shown in that admin page are the settings for the member groups concerning two other options I have also changed.
- Ability to see the member name of who has left you feedback.
- Ability to leave negative feedback for another member.
Both of those options are enabled
ONLY for Contributor level members.
For number 1, I felt that this would hopefully help to limit people from becoming "rep buddies" simply trading reputation points as a "thank you" for the reputation points they received from someone else. This is not what this system is here for. It's PURPOSE is an "attaboy" for someone who makes and especially good post, regardless of the topic matter. And on the opposing hand, negative rep is for a post that someone makes that is an ESPECIALLY poor choice of wording. This is by design a system intended to reward people for making GOOD posts on this site, and to help guide them towards making BETTER posts if their posting warrants negative reputation points. Please use it in that manner.
Yes, I know people can arrange to do the "rep buddy" thing anyway, by conspiring to do so via private messages, but evidence of that practice will become painfully obvious when I audit the reputation system, and dealt with accordingly and appropriately. I made changes to the admin panel in the hopes that members will use this appropriately and rationally. If not, well, appropriate changes will be made as it appears necessary to do.
For number 2, this was discussed earlier in that it is far too easy for people to create bogus accounts here with the sole intention of just aggravating another member by bombarding them with negative rep points. Yeah, someone can pay for a Contributing membership to do that, but quite honestly, someone who would be willing to do that just has issues, and in my opinion someone who this site can do without. And, again, it will become extremely obvious in audits of the reputation comments.
Also, please note that I have no intention of getting in the middle of any spats that may flare up via the manner in which members utilize the reputation system outside of outright and obvious abuse. And I don't expect the moderators to get sucked into this sort of thing neither. "Abuse" is not a member not liking what you say and letting you know about it. That is an OPINION, which they are entitled to, and not a situation which we are going to be inclined to get in the middle of. The reputation system is to be used for members to express their opinions about a POST that is made. It is not to be used as a cattle prod against someone you just don't like by dinging each and every post they make with negative rep points. Believe me, this sort of thing will be extremely obvious when viewing the reputation log.
If YOU get negative reputation because of a post YOU made, how about taking an objective view of your post and see if you can do better next time? Maybe, just maybe, the person who gave you the negative reputation was dead on the money. It CAN happen, you know.
Any of these settings will be subject to change without notice if the values and alterations I have chosen prove to be too feeble of an attempt to correct the problems and forestall abuses.
Please use this wisely.