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Optimus_Prime
05-12-2010, 06:14 PM
Introducing the latest site feature: User Reputation!

You can now give other members reputation points and an optional comment for good posting. Everyone starts at 10 rep points and has the "power" to give at least two rep points if you have at least 50 posts.

Rep "power" (how many points you give when you rep someone else) builds up over time and with posts, but mostly from rep given by others. You see, the more rep points you have, the more rep power you have.

So what are the rewards? After certain numbers of rep points (10, 50, 150, etc.), you gain a new rep status level. And the more rep points you have, the more power you have to rep others. It's a way to reward other members for their good deeds, which if they are rep'd enough, will have higher rep status levels.

In addition, we have configured the Helpful Answers/Posts system so that positive ratings for a post will give one rep point as well. There are no repercussions for negative post ratings, and we have disabled negative user repping.

Here is an FAQ on the new User Reputation system:

How does it work?

Find a post that you really dig and click the Karma button http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g164/jamyung/karma.jpg (found on the bottom left of posts using the dark/green forum skin) or scales button http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g164/jamyung/scales.jpg (top right of posts using the baby blue skin).
Add a comment if you like, and give that user some rep!
So how does it really work?

Everyone has what's called "Reputation Power." It's correlated to the User Rep points you receive when someone gives you rep--which, by the way, we've set up only to be positive. Everyone starts with 10 User Rep points and at least 2 rep power.
So the more user rep points you have, the more rep power you have. Why does this matter? The more rep power you have, the more rep points you give to people when you give them rep (karma).
So, for example, if you have 10 user rep points, you might have around 2 rep power. If that's the case, you would give 2 rep points to everyone you rep (until you gain more rep power).
Once you get into higher ranges of rep, you get to different rep levels. For example:
10 points: User is on a distinguished road [everyone starts here]
50 points: User will become famous soon enough
150 points: User has a spectacular aura about

[There are many more levels after that!]

Where can I find my User Rep?

Your User Rep is calculated in points but is displayed in the forum as white or green boxes (depending on what forum skin you use). In the dark/green skin, it's under your User Title. In the baby blue skin, it's under your Mood.
To see the exact number of rep points, you can click the karma or scales button on one of your own posts. Or you can go to your profile ("My Profile") and it should be listed there along with any specific rep you have received. Also, if you hover the mouse over the rep boxes on a post, you will see the rep level of the poster.
If you go to Edit Options in your profile, you can view your current rep points and opt to hide your reputation level. Other members can still give you rep, but it won't be displayed for others to see.
In your profile, you can see the comments left with user rep, but not who left them for you (unless you have mod privileges). You can also hide the comments in your profile. If you want to edit or delete a comment, please contact a staff member.
What's the difference compared to the Helpful Answers/Post System?

With User Rep, you can give private, anonymous comments on individual posts with your rep. Also, the more rep you have, the more rep you will give the poster. Rep is only positive.
With Helpful Answers, all members see the result of rating a post helpful or not (but not who rated it). You can rate a post as not helpful (as opposed to user rep being only positive). You only give one rep point with a positive helpful answer/post rating.
Neither system is currently set up to reveal the user who gave rep or rated a post helpful/not helpful. Only staff with mod/admin module access can see that.
Notes

There are controls in place to prevent people from rep spamming. However, there is no way to control the comments left except after the fact. So, please be respectful in your comments. We're assuming since giving someone rep will increase their rep points, that this won't be a problem but you never know.

Disclaimer: comments and rep points may be edited by site staff at any time. We don't anticipate doing so very often. We hope that not allowing negative rep will help to make the new system a positive, rewarding experience. Let us know what you think and if you have any questions!

[Thanks to Yuna for helping to set this up as well as the Helpful Answers system!]

CammyW
05-12-2010, 07:15 PM
I noticed this before, but the problem was, the only person you could rep was yourself, lol. Nice to see its fixed.

ghost33
05-12-2010, 07:16 PM
i can see myself struggling to stay in the red figures, lol.

Optimus_Prime
05-12-2010, 09:24 PM
We hadn't fully set up the system before, but it's all set up now. So feel free to use both the user rep system and the helpful posts system to reward people for good posts. :)

By the way, you'll be notified when someone gives you user rep or rates your post as helpful. You'll see a notification under your Private Messages count (similar to when you get a PM).

jleviathan
05-12-2010, 09:50 PM
this is nice good karma

Optimus_Prime
05-12-2010, 09:57 PM
Yeah, it's kind of neat that the system also calls it "karma." So you can think of it when you give rep to others that they in turn will give rep out and eventually it will return to you. Kind of lifting everyone up and promoting positive actions. :)

mcpy2000
05-12-2010, 10:05 PM
What a nice thing you introduce autobot, keep it up!:D

Morpheus
05-13-2010, 12:22 PM
Nice work OP & Yuna!

yunatidus4ever
05-14-2010, 10:03 AM
Yay! So glad this is now on the site, it makes it fun to have more ways to say "thanks" to someone who is not only helpful, but also maybe if someone makes you laugh or posts something that is just a good read!

Astrocreep75
05-14-2010, 06:14 PM
I luv karmel, specially on top of ice cream! Yipee!

Craig_N_Goulart
05-18-2010, 03:44 PM
I just got a couple of reputation points and I would love to be able to see who gave those points so I'll know who the post was helpful and/or entertaining to.

Optimus_Prime
05-18-2010, 04:16 PM
Yes, we have that ability turned off. Perhaps since we are only using positive repping, we'll consider turning it on for all members.

ClayBoy31991
05-24-2010, 08:23 AM
I was just repping some good posts earlier when all of a sudden I got a message saying that I must spread some rep around to other members before repping the same person again. When can you rep the same person again?

Optimus_Prime
05-25-2010, 01:37 PM
Here are the current settings for user rep:

The max times a user can give rep over a 24-hour period is 10.
The mimimum number of members that must be repped before the same member is repped again (by the same person) is 20.

It's to prevent friends from repping mostly just each other to get their rep higher. Maybe we'll lower that "spread" down to 10 or so. We'll see.

In the meantime, I would suggest if you want to rep the same person for good posts, you might want to use the helpful post feature until you can rep them again. When you rate someone's post as helpful, it will typically give that person one rep point (less than when you rep them, but better than nothing).