Why do you give rep points?

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

Why? WHY? WHY??????

 

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

Don't hold back on us, whatever (...to avoid confusion).

 

[Punggung]

What is a rep point?

 

[miss fortune]

Because I like people and giving them rep points makes them happy? (or mad in the case of Edahn I guess! )

I give them for a lot of reasons- if the post was well thought out- to add another thought to something- if the post made me laugh- if the person seemed a bit down and in need of cheering up- as a greeting to new members- etc. I'm a rep slut! I give!

 

[EsoteriEccentri]

I return them (or try to remember to)

 

[Totenkindly]

Actually, I give mine in honor of Edahn... and because I know he is so humble and spiritually ascendant that he would not want to be tempted into pride by collecting them all himself.

 

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

Actually, I give mine in honor of Edahn... and because I know he is so humble and spiritually ascendant that he would not want to be tempted into pride by collecting them all himself.

Spiritually ascendant -- yes

Humble? -- ...yes

 

[Domino]

Actually, I give mine in honor of Edahn... and because I know he is so humble and spiritually ascendant that he would not want to be tempted into pride by collecting them all himself.

Seconded.

 

[INTJMom]

One of the other forums I visit corrupted me.
I used to only give reps for thoughtful, encouraging or intelligent posts, and the like.

But then I saw that some people had all this rep power and I wanted rep power, too!
So I joined threads where people rep each other just to get more rep power!
Imagine having people on this site with rep points in the millions and rep power in the thousands, instead of just giving one or two points!
That's what I'm talking about!
(I'm up to 2.1 million on that other site, by the way
My rep power is over 2,000 points. )

 

[proteanmix]

You know, I enjoy seeing those green dots increase under my avatar; I'm not immune to the reputation system. I know that they don't determine my worth as a poster but it's like confirmation of my contributions. I imagine that if some people don't see their green dots increasing that they don't feel like their contributing or their posts are worthwhile. Then there are others who completely opt out. Nothing is wrong with any of these viewpoints. Points are only worth as much value as forum members give them and I don't think it's weak minded or shallow to allow the points to indicate some value or that they matter to you. I guess it's what we decide the points represent. Right now, they indicate that a poster is really funny, really insightful, or associate with those who have enough reputation power to substantially increase their reputation.

When I receive points, I take more pride in the posts I've put thought an than a joke. I personally have pointed more people for what I consider thoughtful posts, but that's just my way of encouraging the type of posts I want to see more of. I do give points for a witty remark or to make a comment that I don't feel like sending out a PM for.

 

[substitute]

Any post that I like, basically. If it makes me laugh out loud, or smile a secret smile; if it says something eloquently and well; if it's original, thoughtful, but also if the poster shows impressive restraint, I rep for that too. Like if someone makes a post and someone else replies in an inflammatory way, but the other person stays cool and calm and doesn't descend to insults etc, I rep for that too.

I haven't neg repped except once and I wish I hadn't done that either really. Reason being that you never know who will take it personally or the wrong way or whatever, and I can't be bothered with people harbouring grudges against me for silly things like that. If someone's gonna have a grudge I'd rather it was for something that I meant to do.

If I did neg rep, then it'd be for posts containing personal insults (not just to me, but anyone), hypocrisy, BS intellectual conceits, received wisdom, and general non-coolness. Again, because I'm also sometimes guilty of these things, I don't really wanna 'cast stones'...

I also don't give rep points to people who represent serious competition for me, for the top spot *

I hemmed and hawed over whether to hide my green boxes, but opted to show them in the end, because I figured to hide them would be hypocrisy on my part, pretending a modesty that isn't truly sincere. I'd rather be sincerely vain than falsely modest. To me, insincerity is one of the worst crimes.

edit - I don't give them for 'friendly' or 'bonding' purposes, and I can't decide whether it irritates me or not, when people give them to me for those reasons. I guess it would, if I didn't actually appreciate the sentiment - only sorta half-wish it'd be expressed some other way (I say half, because I am vain and competitive enough to just think 'yay! more points!' as well). I sorta want my rep to mean something... something more than just 'someone who dishes out a lot of points per rep likes me a lot'. But as I say, I do appreciate the motive and sentiment, so I don't actively try to discourage it for fear of hurting the feelings of the people who do it, only meaning well. I don't want them to feel like I'm rejecting them or their intentions, cos I don't. And I also don't want them to stop doing it, or I'll never beat PinkPiranha or whatever to the top spot!!


*joking, joking!

 

[Lateralus]

Mostly, I give out rep points to people who gave rep to me, usually after I've made a post begging for more rep. *hint hint*

 

[cascadeco]

haha..I see it worked for you, Lateralus! So that's how you do it...

I will give them for well-thought out posts, I'll give them if I agree with someone and just want to send a quick 'I agree' note to them, and then I'll give them when I just want to give people some support, a pat on the back, or a compliment that I'd prefer to do over the rep system rather than derail a thread. I also tend to give a few of my fluffier comments via rep rather than in the actual thread.

 

[Nadir]

Redundant thread. Check your user profile.

 

[digesthisickness]

every poster so far in this thread has given at least one reason to back up my own for why i don't give these rep points any credence.

...

ha, like 'rep points' really mean anything on any real level anyway. the only way they would is if they had something to do with my getting banned.

 

[substitute]

every poster so far in this thread has given at least one reason to back up my own for why i don't give these rep points any credence.

...

ha, like 'rep points' really mean anything on any real level anyway. the only way they would is if they had something to do with my getting banned.

I don't give 'em any credence either. I just enjoy them. They're whatever you make 'em (and make of 'em).

 

[Oberon]

I give 'em because I want to, when I want to.

 

[digesthisickness]

I don't give 'em any credence either. I just enjoy them. They're whatever you make 'em (and make of 'em).

if you don't give them credence, then how can you enjoy them?

frankly, i wouldn't want a bunch of 'points' based on someone wanting to make me feel better about myself. that's like a pity fuck.

 

[mippus]

I give them when a post really makes me think or expresses exactly what I would have posted myself. I also try to give to new members, since I remember that made me feel welcome.
And I return reps of course...

 

[substitute]

if you don't give them credence, then how can you enjoy them?

frankly, i wouldn't want a bunch of 'points' based on someone wanting to make me feel better about myself. that's like a pity fuck.

Yeah, I know what you mean, hence my point above about not giving those kindsa points and sorta wishing people wouldn't to me either.

Having said that, it's not necessarily a pity fuck thing. I mean, if someone really likes you because of your posts in general, and they just feel like making a show of it that way, I don't think pity necessarily enters into it...

But I enjoy it when someone gets something good out of something I do, whether it be something in RL or just a post that helped or inspired them in some way. Doesn't mean I have to give it great cosmic significance... y'know like I enjoy movies and but it doesn't mean I get disillusioned when I find out that Leonardo Di Caprio didn't really die in Titanic. I just take it and enjoy it for what it is *shrug* and each point/comment I get 'is' something different.