Well, the rep system isn't perfect...but it has some useful purposes, so it'll stay.


As for the rest...I'm really glad you found your way here and decided to stay. But it's just like any community of people and sometimes it takes awhile to get to know the new folks....to be able to understand their humor and such. Especially in a completely silent and virtually expressionless venue such as this...all we have to go on is letters on a screen (and animated smilies if we're lucky!)...so sometimes it's really hard to tell when someone is joking or serious if you don't already know them well.

And so far as I know...no one here has a PhD in anything...(maybe Mendel or Dread, but I dunno! ). We have a very wide variety of experience and learning and again, it's just a matter of folks getting to know you. Sometimes a person has to work a bit to establish their credibility when they walk into an already fairly well educated/experienced community. That's not at all to say your advice is unwelcomed...just saying that sometimes its wiser to be willing to listen and speak quietly for awhile until folks know you better.

And this isn't a lecture directed at you specifically...just at anyone who's new here and is feeling like they have a hard time fitting in. Be patient...give people a chance to get to know you....work on how you communicate things like jokes or sarcasm....and just be willing to listen and learn.