Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I voted to get rid of it BY MISTAKE!!! I meant to say KEEP IT, so if you see my name on there, I didn't really mean what I voted. I hit the wrong button.
I voted to keep it. There are many threads I read but do not post in as I don't have anything to add other than "good post" or "I agree". The rep system allows me to show my appreciation to other posters with a quick message instead of a post.
I could never understand why (at times) others might have a different opinion then mine on some topics. If I couldn’t change theirs I could control and change mine. I would either accept theirs or I’d move on to something better. Life’s too short for “some” unimportant things.
plain and simple it is a big reason I keep coming back
without it, i would not continue to visit and post
it is a way to feel like a member of the community, and encourage quality in posting, and also encourage "newbies" something to aspire to. All those things hold true for me. I can see getting rid of negative, that's OK if it's too much work for mods
but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep the positive reps, it is a wonderful feature and without it i for one would not keep posting
So, what's the big deal? Give them the rep they have earned!
I see only positive reasons for keeping the rep system. It has already been pointed out that having this system informs one another who generally post something worthwhile, helpful and just plain clever & fun.
As in every community you find those that are there and ready to help out in any way they can, so it is in our community. It is very fitting that we reward a rep point to the poster who has taken the time to look up information and websites for a fellow poster. We want our kind neighbors to feel that we do appreciate them.
As far as negative rep is concerned -any negative feedback can be given in a reply post to give the OP the opportunity to clarify his/her post or defend it. A negative rep pt. can be self-defeating creating either a hurt or angry receiver or losing someone who can be valuable on the forum.
Any trolling that is suspected can be reported and handled through the Moderators and need not be the duty of posters to jump onto the troller. There are enough negative posts to control someone who is speaking out of line. And, it does not seem to happen all that often considering the vast number of daily posts.
A pat on the back encourages everyone to sharpen their posting skills, think through what they say before throwing it out there for all to read, and gives us a sense of belonging. This is why you see so many regulars on the forum. Many of us show up each day because we want to see what our cyber-friends are discussing.
Where are the negatives? Can't find any, myself. I give positive comments on papers for my students so that they can look at them occasionally and be proud of themselves. It encourages them to aspire to great efforts in the future. If I have something negative to say to them, it is brief, usually orally, and then we move on. We tend to feel discouraged and uninspired with negative comments. We want to inspire one another to excellence!!
I say if the post is good, helpful and informative - give it some credence with a rep pt. It allows newcomers the opportunity to see with whom the credibility and confidence lies. (Long-winded, as usual. Sorry!)
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Just an opinion for what it's worth.
So, what's the big deal? Give them the rep they have earned!
)