Forum Changes: Negative Reputation Disabled Indefinitely

[danp]

Due to the abuse of the (negative) reputation system (even after implementing a system where in established members had the ability to due it) I have decided to implement a "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything nice at all" test with regards to reputation.

From here on out, if you think a post was excellent, give the person positive reputation, if you disagree with the person's opinion, you will no longer be able to leverage the reputation system to spout profanity and childishness as a depressing number of our members do.

Depending on how this works out, it will most likely become permanent.

[gnbrotz]

I don't like it. I'd neg rep you if I could.

[headcase]

Very nice, now there is no tool for the membership to police the spread of bullshit information, or tag known trolls. How about we just let the adults be adults, and tell those who cry to suck it up? You just flushed a valuable resource down the drain. Hell, you might as well dump the rep thing totally, as without possibility of negative, the positive loses its meaning. Well done

[zackattack784]

I agree with HC.

Is there anyway to moderate Rep? If you could punish those that spout profanity and other personal attacks at people through reputation, I think abuse would go way down.

ETA: If you can moderate rep I would be willing to bet there would be a lot more reports filed by people that are angry about receiving neg rep. It would probably require appointing another moderator or two but I'm sure you wouldn't have much trouble finding people willing to fill that roll.

[danp]

People who provide good knowledge will gain reputation, people who do not will stagnate. It will still be very obvious who is proving good information.

The reality of the situation is that when I search the database for negative reputations, I see pages full of childish bullshit (for lack of a better word) sometimes coming from even our oldest members.

From what I have seen, negative reputation simply does not work the way I envisioned it would. If the "positive only" system doesn't work either, I'll probably just do away with it all together.

That's why it's a test for a few months and I will re-evaluate.

[jerkin]

I don't like it either, for the exact reasons headcase mentioned. This forum has become just like ebay, a seller can no longer leave negative feedback for a buyer, one of the many reasons I don't use it anymore. BTW, can't someone spew profanity and insult another just as easily through pm's or will that be disabled also?

[danp]

How about we just let the adults be adults, and tell those who cry to suck it up?

The problem here is that the "adults" are usually the ones being hit with ridiculous negative reputation by the trolls and the idiots over simple disagreements or childish vendettas.

Why should a member have to "suck it up" when he gets neg rep'd by an idiot for daring to disagree with him?

It's easier to let people bump good members up without allowing idiots to tear honest people down. As far as I can tell there's no useful or efficient way to game that system.

[danp]

I don't like it either, for the exact reasons headcase mentioned. This forum has become just like ebay, a seller can no longer leave negative feedback for a buyer, one of the many reasons I don't use it anymore. BTW, can't someone spew profanity and insult another just as easily through pm's or will that be disabled also?

PM's can be ignored/deleted and do not reflect the public reputation that is displayed to every other member.

I've seen members put in the red simply for posting contrary ideas, it's silly.

[Hawk]

I'd say do away with the entire rep system all together. To many "buddies" or "groups" repping each other back and forth for nonsense (mostly in the lounge). IMHO, the rep system ideally would identify people who earned the rep for positive and informative fire-arms related contributions. Just my 2 cents.

[FNG19]

Dan, this is your site, and you're welcome to do what you wish with it. I personally agree with Headcase, however. The Rep System and, by extension, NegRep, serves a valuable role in any online community -- particularly for new members who come to understand what the rep system is all about.

Please reconsider this decision.