Reputation Question...

i give rep points to posts i think are worthy, which is based upon their kindness and willingness to assist others in a respectful way - advice given - and negative posts when someone is unkind or just downright rude to others.

that said, i don't even care about the points for myself and seldom even click on someone elses... it's what's IN the post that makes me know whether or not people should be listened to... i also look at the date they joined the site... and tend to trust people who have been here longer.

honestly though, i got a negative point when i first joined... my very first rep point. they said i was rude. what it did to me (after my ego stopped crying over it LOL) was remind me to be kind and loving towards others. here's the post i was told i was rude in: http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...915#post309915 obviously it was how it was taken by the other person and not actually what i meant... so i knew i needed to be careful how i said things from then on.

what a great gift that negative point was!

lol, I kind of think the point thing is "silly".... I mean if everyone went around giving good rep points for good responses I think Adam would have like +5000!

This is also the only forum I have every been to with the point system, i do like how it doesnt show the post counts though....

Should we all take part in giving out these?? B/c I usually don't even thinkk about it.

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Originally Posted by TheNooB

lol, I kind of think the point thing is "silly".... I mean if everyone went around giving good rep points for good responses I think Adam would have like +5000!

This is also the only forum I have every been to with the point system, i do like how it doesnt show the post counts though....

Should we all take part in giving out these?? B/c I usually don't even thinkk about it.

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You should feel free to use the rep system. If you think someone is being exceptionally helpful, or even just arguementative, then go ahead and do it. :D That's what it's there for. No one person can greatly affect anothers. There are limits put in place, so that doesn't happen. (You have to give rep points to many other members before you can give to that same person again.) I don't want to encourage using rep points cause you like this picture or don't like the grammar on that post. If everyone uses a little common sense the system should work great!

Dan, members can choose to use or not use the point system. If someone is going to use the system and give out points, whether positive or negative, we prefer that they do so according to the helpfulness or accuracy of the advice given. Obviously there are other factors you can consider when deciding whose advice is the most reliable. Someone else mentioned the length of time a member has been here. That can be a good indicator as well. Rusty, Kara, Adam, and our mods always have good advice. As for the rest of our members, once you've been around a little while, you'll know who to listen to. The reputation system is not perfect, but we felt it was superior to the post count system which only measured quantity of posts, not quality. If everyone uses the reputation system the way it is meant to be used, it can be very helpful to newcomers who won't know right off the bat who is a more experienced keeper.

OK, apparently I'm really dumb, but I don't see how to view someone else's reputation points? I click on their profile and don't see it there, and I don't see it on the posts either? :confused:

Just wanted to say I'm very impressed with this thread folks. It's a great discussion being handled very well instead of going bad quickly, which it could have easily done.

As has been pointed out so well by a couple of members, learning from our mistakes even if it hurts the ego a bit, but it's for the benefit of the creatures we took responsibility for, is for me at least the mark of a caring person with an open mind and a willingness to learn and adjust. I think that's a large part of what a forum like this is for other than the friendships formed, etc. If any of us ever think we don't need to learn anything more about our creatures or from the experiences of another, I think in the end we short change ourselves and them.

As far as how I handle my own little green box. It's nice and a handy tool but basically I post how I feel about something and let the chips falls where they may. No internet forum tool will ever show anyone who I am but my words will convey it clearly I hope and those words and thoughts are what I will always stand by.


~~Jo~~

Robin you can't see the actual number of points, but if you put your cursor over that little green box below the avatar, you can see what kind of standing that member is in. Everyone starts out as Welcome around here, and after lots of rep has been given they become an asset to the community. Likewise when someone has a few points taken away they get They should think before posting and if enough are taken away you get ... Shoot I can't remember, anyway you get the idea. ;)

You can't. Thats the whole big non-issue here. The only thing you might see is where it tells someone "you might want to think before posting". That is the only negative thing I have ever seen. It means that and nothing else. Think before you post. Think about what you are going to say, and consider your audience.

My audience is people of varying ages and backgrounds. I would guess at least 50% of people know more about snakes that I do. I would also guess 50-75% have more experince than I do. Most are over the age of 18, those that aren't should be able to understand what I am typing. At least 40% of my audience is female. How will what I say have to impact people and what is being discussed? Will it make me look like an idiot (it has many times)? Has it been said already in that thread? All these things need to be considered before you post.

This reputation business is small potatoes. The real business here is learning and teaching people how to become better snake owners. It is also having a place to congregate and share our joy, misfortune, and frustration with people who feel the same things for the same reason. I talk about snakes all day long, most people roll thier eyes or worse at me. They could care less. At least when I post pics of snakes here people are glad to see them and know how good I feel inside. Lets just forget this whole "rep" things and get down to business.

The only place rep matters in my opinion is the BOI. I will not purchase from a peron who has a single "substantiated" negative reputaion point there.

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Originally Posted by lars5277

This reputation business is small potatoes. The real business here is learning and teaching people how to become better snake owners. It is also having a place to congregate and share our joy, misfortune, and frustration with people who feel the same things for the same reason.

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I couldn't have said it better myself!