Here you can find answers to questions about how the board works. Use the links or search box below to find your way around.
About Reputation
User reputation in its simplest form is a ranking of how the community scores a user's benefit to the forum. Its basis comes from the opinions of all of the forum users that choose take part in it. Each member's current reputation level is displayed within each post, just below the avatar and other user information. Reputation appears as a series of small green cubes for positive reputation and red for negative reputation. Hovering a mouse cursor over a user's rep blocks will display a brief comment about the user's current reputation status. Users gain and lose reputation based on how their posts are scored by other forum participants. Users with the ability to affect reputation will either give or take away points by approving or disapproving with a post's content. To see the comments other users have left for you, visit your User CP.
Awarding Reputation
To award another user reputation points, click on the "Add Reputation" button below the user's avatar. A menu will appear which allows you to select whether to award positive or negative reputation points. You can also leave a brief comment so the user knows why you awarded reputation. The amount of reputation you can give or take away is called "rep power." Three factors determine the rep power for each user:
All new users start with 1 point of rep power by default, but reputation hits from new members do not count until they have a minimum of 10 posts. Also, while users with a total reputation score less than zero can still use the reputation system, their hits do not count against/for other users.
Limitations on Use
Each user may award reputation up to a maximum of 5 times per day. To help ensure reputation cannot be used as a weapon, users are limited on how often they can give/take reputation for the same user. Once reputation has been awarded, the user must give rep to a minimum of 25 other users prior to awarding rep to that same user again. Members that consistently use the rep system as a weapon against other members (i.e., awarding negative rep to the same user as often as the system will allow) risk losing their own rep privileges.
Why allow users to award negative rep?
The reputation system is designed as an additional method for users to interact and have fun. It also serves as a means for users to express displeasure with a post without cluttering up the forum with comments that might lead to a disruptive exchange. Take reputation comments for what they are worth and have fun with it.
What if another user gave me negative rep that I feel I don't deserve?
Sometimes users will award positive rep and sometimes they will award negative rep. Members will not always agree with posts made by other users, and sometimes there will be disagreement over a rep comment as well. It happens. The mods cannot control how one member reacts to something posted by another member, so please don't contact the mods and ask them to take action against someone because you received some negative rep you disagree with. While you won't always agree with the rep you receive, you will generally find you will receive a lot more positive rep than negative rep as long as your posts are courteous and helpful. If you regularly engage in political debates or other heated issues on the forums, you can expect to receive some negative rep from time to time.
