2009-07-06: Abuse it and lose it

[SonicChaos]

Well said.

[infoxicated]

Here's some additional aspects to the user reputation system that I don't want to see abused;

- Using the rep system for private messaging - we already have that feature, use that instead if you want to drop someone a note.

- Rep boosting someone who is suspended from posting because you consider that particular member to be a friend.

- Group circle-jerking because you've had a good race online. The rep system is for a or a :- of what people post on here, not for acknowledging that they gave you a good race online. Send people a PSN message or something - don't over inflate each other's reputation statistics over it.

I'm seeing this kind of thing more and more on the reputation comments and, to be honest, it's making it entirely pointless and if that's the way it's going to be used I'll just turn it off and ease the load on the database.

[leungbok]

Rep's comments aren't private and only seen by the giver and the receiver ?

[infoxicated]

No, I can see the whole stream of rep comments in the admin panel.

How else would I see who was abusing it?

[NightArh]

There is no ability to read member's PMs from AdminCP luckily...

[Lance]

Sometimes it's good when one can't read other people's private comments about oneself! I'm not at all sure that I would want to know!

[infoxicated]

Yeah, that's really good. Otherwise we'd know what FTA stands for and the usernames of everyone involved in it. And that would be terrible. For those involved, I mean.

[archman]

Rep is useless as much as rank in wipeout, and should be removed.

[GreenPhazon]

...unless I somehow come into possession of a load of good rep

[KGB]

I don't think rep is useless. The older members here have attained it through years of visiting the site and is probably well earned. Not sure if a lot I have been given has been warranted though.

What's FTA?

[infoxicated]

I couldn't possibly comment - why don't you ask ACE-FLO, DISRUPTOR, Slimjim, Jasmin-Jade, or KIGO, prince of profanity himself when he's back from having his posting rights suspended.

I'm sure they'd love to tell the community all about it.

[ACE-FLO]

lol, FTA stands for Fortunate Times Ahead!

I write FTA in my posts too... but not in the Pulse online meetings thread - Pulse Online is dead! Nothing fortunate there!

[infoxicated]

No, no, no, ACE-FLO.

I meant tell the community what it really means. Not the cover story.

[ACE-FLO]

The expose starts here...

For me it has always meant "Fortunate Times Ahead!"

Others may have other ideas about the Abbreviation of FTA... I will not post that because I only rep those who I deem rep worthy, of a post that I found I liked, found helpful, funny etc, complimentary...

As far as I know, the reasons for repping I gave are valid. Rob, you say you can see everyones rep right? OK - take a look at mine, publish it for all to see if you think this will help to prove a point...

I'm not saying that this "rep swap" thing doesnt exist - when you rep someone, I recall a message which comes up saying something along the lines of "Thank you for giving reputation to so and so, you may be lucky enough to recieve some rep back in turn" or something... Now, so where does the hair get split?


I give you rep - you give me rep, - that's the gist of it from your message!

I like giving rep - how can I not? I spend enough time on the forums to read through many posts, Yeah, I rep Jasmin quite a bit coz she is the most outrageously funny person her imo... and there are a few peeps whose posts I'd read because they are relevant to whatever we are talking about at the time, or, for instance - repping someone who has posted in the "New Teams" thread - my fave thread right now...

I get rep too... I can't stop that now can I?

Rob, I understand your concern - totally... but to be honest, I aint the man to take the hit mate!!! Sorry!

Anyway, I hope you get to the bottom of this whole FTA shizzles...

Ace

EDIT: I almost repped your post Rob, above mine - because I liked the fact that you can just up and ask me... then I realized that my rep priveleges have been stopped lol - cheers btw! hahahaha you git!!!

KIGO, prince of profanity himself

- that was rep worthy btw lol

[Lance]

}thinks about the dark prints{

---------

But seriously >

Rep is useless as much as rank in wipeout, and should be removed.

I tend to agree with archman on this. Originally, the rep system meant something, but seems to have so much that's meaningless mixed in with the meaningful that real value has been destroyed. If it can be fixed in some way, that would be great, but I suspect that any system is open to subversion if enough people are ill-willed enough to use it the wrong way.

[Aeroracer]

The rep system is broken as it's flawed and unfair.

this is why i think rep is rubbish.

Example one.

Say i post something absoloutly amazing that everyone loves i will get repped by all the main members.Sounds cool to me.Then i post something even more amazing and the members love it even more.will i get repped no cos unless there have been many other amazing posts by all the other members and they got repped i cannot get repped again until the members have repped other members first.spread your rep rule.It prevents boosting as much as repping legitimate good posts.

meaning...

i either dont repped..or a dozen or so random members just get repped for anything in order to rep me again..thats a flaw in the rep system.

Example two

I write a post thats spot-on but some one gets offended and neg reps me for it.No member should have the right to punish another member with bad rep, especially when they are wrong.regardless of how good a forum is their will be jerks who will argue and be unreasonable and just have naff judgement, thats why we got mods working here for.
so whats the answer..just water down your posts and dont have an oppinion just in case some jerk takes offence and neg reps you.

If i write something someone disagrees with they should just debate by posts till its concluded, the moderator and admin only to jump in when rules are broken and control is lost.

Repping power as well is unfair.
member who has been here for years who post are of average quality could have enough repping power to out rep an elite player who knows what they are talking about 10 times over.
in my opinion everyones say counts.

other issues with rep

people rep can consits of the following

1 earned rep
2 random rep (given just so the giver can give to the real person they wanted to rep later)
3 favouritsm and friend rep
4 boosting rep

i think i could say nearly every member has rep consisting of the top three and some with all 4

Another thing about rep is human nature in general.people will tend to sit up and act much easier when its negative than positive..people love it

Like newspapers no one want to hear nice things they want to read about crap and get round up..
bad news sell better than good news cos everyone is up for moaning .praise is harder to give.

neg repping always cause's bad feeling resulting in...

1 bad feeling towards the person who negged you
2 getting revenge back on them by looking for legitimate opportunity to neg rep back
3 maybe just not bother with the forum and leave.
4 arguments in the forum
5 ganging up if the victim has supporters.i have seen this a few times now.

there propbally more things to post about how much i think the rep system suks but this post is more than long enough.

[MrSmadSmartAlex]

Everybody's forgetting one thing - rep isn't important at all. Can you trade it in for cash or food? Does it make you play Wipeout better? Does it even make any difference to anything other than those green squares next to your name on WZ?
I'd rather it wasn't there at all. It'd be one less thing to argue about.

[ACE-FLO]

I wanted to rep your post Alex lol

[Aeroracer]

Everybody's forgetting one thing - rep isn't important at all. Can you trade it in for cash or food? Does it make you play Wipeout better? Does it even make any difference to anything other than those green squares next to your name on WZ?
I'd rather it wasn't there at all. It'd be one less thing to argue about.

sorry dont get your comparrison

there are many things you cannot trade for food or money which wont make you good at wipeout yet still hold value here are a few of them

principle's
fairness
goodwill

my argument is more to do with a system that has major flaws rather than its value.

[ACE-FLO]

Oooh, Jasmin - if you was a politician, you'd have my vote...lol