Rep System User's Guide

[RocketFoot]

In an effort to reduce repeat posts and help inform new members and forum veterans alike, here is a guide to the Rep System. Perhaps we can make it a sticky in this section?

What is the Rep System?

The Rep (Reputation) System is a way of allowing forum members to rate each other's posts. If someone makes a helpful or entertaining post, they may be given a positive rating by other members who feel it was beneficial to the forum. Similarly, negative ratings can be given for bad posts. Members can see their accumulated rep in the User CP.



How Does It Work?

Each member has a rep score and a rep power rating:

Rep Score - The total number of rep points you have. When a member gives you a positive rating, your total goes up, and it goes down with negative ratings. Your Rep Score is only visible to you and can be found in your User CP.

Rep Power - This is the amount you will increase/decrease another member's rep by when you rate their post. Your Rep Power number is found under your post count in each post you make. You get your first rep power point at 50 posts. You will increase your rep power points for the following:

One point for every 1000 posts you have made.
One point for every 365 days you have been a member.
One point for every 100 points of reputation you have.



Where is My Rep Shown?

Top right of each of your posts - below your profile - is a public summary of your rep, showing a graphical representation of your rep power. Your total rep score is represented as a series of colored blocks. () Each member starts with one gray block (a score of 0). As your total rep increases, you will gain green blocks: (red blocks represent a negative total rep score). The light green pips seem to have no purpose other than the first 5 pips you get are dark green and the next 6 are light green.

The forum has a certain number of rep ranks defined, and you move up a rank as your total rep points exceeds each threshold. Hover over the colored blocks to be shown your rank (i.e. "Username will be famous soon enough" or "Username is a name known to all"). This is similar to the way the post count/rank system works. (See Appendix A for more details.)

The number of blocks you have is not a direct representation of the number of rep points you actually have, it is merely a scale of your progress between all of the rep levels. For this reason, two members may both have 2 green rep blocks, but different rep scores and ranks.



How Do I Give Rep Points?

When you read a post that you wish to rate, look to the bottom-left corner of the post, below the member's profile. Click on the scale icon:

You will be asked to approve or disapprove of the member's post. A comment box is also provided. It is good practice to leave a short comment, for the member to see why you rated their post. The person receiving your rep will be able to read your comment and see who left it for them in their User CP.


Where Can I See What I Received Rep For?

In your User Control Panel, you will find details of your rep received. The Control Panel can be found by clicking the User CP link at the top left of the page in the menu bar.

Once at your Control Panel screen, you will see a section entitled "Latest Reputation Received" listing the posts you received reputation for, the dates, and any comments the giver may have made. A colored block shows the nature of the rating (green for positive, red for negative, gray for neutral [see FAQ below]). On the right-hand side of the header bar, your rep points total is shown.


Other Frequently Asked Questions

1. Somebody gave me rep with a gray block. Is that good or bad?

Every member needs to have made a minimum amount of posts on the forum for their rep-giving to be counted. A gray rep rating means the member has not earned any rep power points yet and their rating will not contribute to your total rep score (whether they gave a positive or a negative rating does not matter). Once they have made the required number of posts, their ratings will start counting. This is to prevent abuse of the system, such as people quickly creating multiple accounts just to give themselves rep.


2. How much rep am I allowed to give out?

There are some limits as to how many posts you are allowed to rate. In a 24 hour period, you are allowed to give out 10 ratings but you cannot rate the same person twice in a row. You may also not rate the same post twice. You may see a message telling you that you must spread your rep around before leaving rep for a particular member. This means that you have given that member rep recently and you need to give rep to 10 different members before you are allowed to give more to that member.


3. My Control Panel doesn't show all my received rep comments?

Unfortunately, your User CP will only show the last 10 rep comments that you have received. There is no known way to view rep comments past the last 10.


4. How can I see if a particular post I made has received any rep?

Click on the rep scale icon for any of your own posts and you will be shown details of rep scores that were given for it (if any).


5. Who has the most/least rep?

Accumulating rep is not a competition. The rep system is just a means of rewarding a member for useful, helpful or entertaining content. Your rep score has nothing to do with your standings within the forum. You can see the rep leaders in the Member List, but you cannot see another member's actual rep count.


6. Can I give my own posts rep?

No. Giving yourself rep is not possible.



Here are a few links to some of the topics that have been discussed here in the past:

http://www.pafoa.org/forum/support-suggestions-21/6846-reputation-ratings-what-they.html

http://www.pafoa.org/forum/support-suggestions-21/17079-guidelines-when-not-give-negative-reputation-points.html

http://www.pafoa.org/forum/general-2/242-rep-power.html


Appendix A

Here is a list of Rep Phrases as compiled by NineseveN. These phrases can be seen by hoovering your mouse over yours or any member's graphical rep boxes.

-99999.....User is infamous around these parts

-50.....User can only hope to improve

-10.....User has a little shameless behavior in the past

0.....User is an unknown quantity at this point

10.....User is on a distinguished road

50.....User will become famous soon enough

150.....User has a spectacular aura about

250.....User is a jewel in the rough

350.....User is just really nice

450.....User is a glorious beacon of light

550.....User is a name known to all

650.....User is a splendid one to behold

1000.....User has much to be proud of

1500.....User has a brilliant future

2000.....User has a reputation beyond repute



That's pretty much it. If there is anything I overlooked, please post below and I can incorporate it into the guide...