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**JRsec** · 03-22-2023 12:22 AM

1. When you find a post you wish to give reputation to please use the + icon at the bottom left of the post to do it. That is Reputation received from Posts and it can be used over and over.

IF you give reputation by clicking on the Poster's Name you are giving personal reputation and that may only ever be given once. If you initially give a personal reputation of +2 to a poster and then months or years later decide to give them another and you give them a +3 their reputation score will change by a +1 because your new +3 erases their old +2 resulting in a gain of 1 reputation point. If you give them a +1 while having in the past given them a +2 you subtract from their reputation score a -1.

Over the years this has caused accidental hurt feelings, puzzlement, and the searches for why it happened and how it happened. There is no need for a search. It happened because the Personal Reputation System was used for a second time.

Confused? They always are, and very, very seldom has the one who caused it intended anything but good.

You will note that I welcome posters to the board with a +3 to get them started. I always use the Personal Reputation for that. Then all other reputation I give is Post Reputation. That way I don't accidentally takeaway from someone I'm seeking to give reputation.

2. You may wonder why you can't see a + or - symbol or give reputation. If you are new you must reach 600 posts before that privilege is yours to use.

Why? We have people who register here, childish as it may sound, just to pursue a poster they wish to harass. This limitation stops most of that on this site.

3. At 600 posts you will be able to give 0 - 2 points or take away that much from another poster's reputation. In 12 years I have given 1 negative rep and I think I deleted that one. Negative reputation needs to be reserved for bad posters, not necessarily good posters with whom you simply disagree. Reputation wars are damaging to the board and usually result in a banning or two or more.

At 5000 posts you should be able to give up to 3 points of reputation and takeaway as many.

4. General purposes for good conduct and for moderation considers that it is abuse to give a single poster more than 6 points in reputation within a 24 hour period, or to take away more than 6 points in a 24 hour period. I used to use the rule of thumb of 2 positives or 2 negatives in a day, but to make it equal in impact for those who can give 3 and those who can only give 2 I set the points at 6. I did that because in negative reputation wars a poster with 5000 can ding another 3 at a time and the one who is newer can only retaliate with 2. It created a disadvantage which only made matters worse. So consider your limit in a day to be 6 whether plus or minus.

5. I would encourage for the sake of the board's general conduct to reward what is good, and try to ignore what is not. If you feel a poster is being particularly offensive instead of simply negative repping them, report the post and let the moderators handle it. That doesn't cause Reputation Wars. It helps moderators spot trouble makers and to reach a justification for banning them. You'll find the report post feature is a flashlight icon on the bottom right of each post. Use it only for AUP (Acceptable Use Policy) violations, racial slurs which means slurs, not what you think sounds racist, threats against other posters, or specific people, or things so vile and ugly people should not have to read or see them.

6. If you encounter moderation keep it private. I generally only post a warning in a thread when (1) so many are involved and I do not intend to issue formal warnings with % of warning against them, but I want them to stop, or (2) the poster doesn't have his/her PM feature turned on. Most moderators find that posters who do not turn on their PM features turn out to be trolls.

If you haven't used the PM feature it's a great way to get to know other posters and to share things you do not wish to share openly on the board. That can be personal information, things not appropriate for threads or posts, or incidental information you may find or suspect you have in common. I've learned more important information in PM's than I have ever learned from posts.

7. If you ever have a question about any of this just PM me.

Thanks and take care,

JR

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