Is there any way to turn off or opt out of the reputation system?  I tried adding a "please don't" to my signature line and explaining why.  But that doesn't seem to help.  It's beginning to really bug me when I get the +1.  Admittedly, I'm not so fond of my one -1 either. 

It's much ado about nothing. I wouldn't worry about it.

I'd like to turn it off, too. In spite of my post count, I haven't gotten any at all, which makes me feel even more ignored than I already do. I'd rather have a thumbs down than nothing.

I've never once +1/-1'd anyone.  If you made my day I'll say so, and if you're being an idiot or a*hole I'll just call you out. 

If it were up to me, I'd scrap that system altogether.

Quote from: Laura Squirrel on January 30, 2014, 02:16:31 PM
It's much ado about nothing. I wouldn't worry about it.

Well, if it doesn't bother you one way or another, then it's much ado about nothing for you.  See footer on this post for why it bothers me and, honestly, seems very inappropriate for a support forum.  It bugs me when I look at the forum home page and scroll down, reaching the bottom, and . . . There's +1 for ThePhoenix.  It does bug me.  All I did was ask a question, not make a big deal of it.  So I'd probably call it "small ado over irritation" for me.

Quote from: DCQ on January 30, 2014, 02:19:08 PM
I'd like to turn it off, too. In spite of my post count, I haven't gotten any at all, which makes me feel even more ignored than I already do. I'd rather have a thumbs down than nothing.

I can see you.  And I won't ignore you.

Quote from: ThePhoenix on January 30, 2014, 02:25:04 PM
Well, if it doesn't bother you one way or another, then it's much ado about nothing for you.  See footer on this post for why it bothers me and, honestly, seems very inappropriate for a support forum.  It bugs me when I look at the forum home page and scroll down, reaching the bottom, and . . . There's +1 for ThePhoenix.  It does bug me.  All I did was ask a question, not make a big deal of it.  So I'd probably call it "small ado over irritation" for me.

I just don't see the point in being irritated over something that doesn't mean as much as you think.

If it doesn't mean anything why is it there?
I haven't really noticed that good or bad comments necessarily correlate with high or low reps. I think that reputations, generally speaking, have more to do with the popularity of members (how well liked they are).

Quote from: JS on January 30, 2014, 02:53:52 PM
If it doesn't mean anything why is it there?
I haven't really noticed that good or bad comments necessarily correlate with high or low reps. I think that reputations, generally speaking, have more to do with the popularity of members (how well liked they are).

Because the staff feels that it belongs there. I don't really see any connection between any supposed "popularity" among members. I go by individual posts, not the person that makes them. However, some people have a habit of antagonizing others. That is when you see you the high number of "thumbs down".

There are also a high number of people who are extremely touchy and emotionally vulnerable who will thumbs down anyone that tells a truth they do not wish to hear.

Quote from: ThePhoenix on January 30, 2014, 03:29:56 PM
There are also a high number of people who are extremely touchy and emotionally vulnerable who will thumbs down anyone that tells a truth they do not wish to hear.

Yeah, but I've seen more than my fair share of people who act like dicks and just cop out and say that they are being "honest" which is total crap.

I know I personally never smite. I like giving +1 though because it gives me a way to succinctly show someone that I appreciate what they said.

I also don't concern myself with reputation. I write what I think. I will admit, when someone gives me a +1 I do feel a little good, because it is nice to know people read my posts. I've never gotten a smite, but if I did get one I might feel a little bad, honestly. But really...it's just not a big deal to me. I know why I say the things I say. That's good enough for me, and I like the reputation system solely for the fact that I can maybe make someone else happy by giving them a +1 on a thoughtful post.

Quote from: ThePhoenix on January 30, 2014, 03:29:56 PM
There are also a high number of people who are extremely touchy and emotionally vulnerable who will thumbs down anyone that tells a truth they do not wish to hear.

Quote from: Laura Squirrel on January 30, 2014, 03:32:47 PM
Yeah, but I've seen more than my fair share of people who act like dicks and just cop out and say that they are being "honest" which is total crap.

Yep, both these are true.

But sorry, Phoenix, there's no way to turn it off or opt out individually. Some do take it too seriously. But I would just try to ignore it and take the thumbs up as compliments (usually doesn't mean anything other than 'I like what you said') and ignore the rest. You can't post with any regularity without upsetting someone out there once or twice. I had a couple smites out of thousands of posts before the update. It happens.

Quote from: ThePhoenix on January 30, 2014, 02:13:52 PM
Is there any way to turn off or opt out of the reputation system?  I tried adding a "please don't" to my signature line and explaining why.  But that doesn't seem to help.  It's beginning to really bug me when I get the +1.  Admittedly, I'm not so fond of my one -1 either.

Do you feel perhaps you're giving too much power to others? It just seems to me you are. If you don't like the rep system, you should simply ignore it.

Kind of like a nosy neighbor. Sure you could go to war with them, but unlike war, ignoring them works every time. 

Quote from: ThePhoenix on January 30, 2014, 03:29:56 PM
There are also a high number of people who are extremely touchy and emotionally vulnerable who will thumbs down anyone that tells a truth they do not wish to hear.

Agreed. Just take your neg vote, for example. Even if someone took issue with it (as they did), I've seen a lot worse that hasn't been voted down. The system is just too arbitrary to be useful in any meaningful way.

I can't honestly say that this forum really operated much differently before reputation was installed, but I would guess that if someone has vastly negative rep, that it would be something the admins would look at, after all it isn't like anyone is getting paid to moderate this place, and many of us are hormonal, scared, and just new to this all so we are a population in need of much more moderation than most. So, if it makes the jobs of mods easier then I say keep it, if not then I really don't see all that much point.

Quote from: Hikari on January 30, 2014, 07:54:47 PM
...if someone has vastly negative rep, that it would be something the admins would look at.

As a mod tool, fine. But why make reps public?

Quote from: DCQ on January 30, 2014, 02:19:08 PM
I'd like to turn it off, too. In spite of my post count, I haven't gotten any at all, which makes me feel even more ignored than I already do. I'd rather have a thumbs down than nothing.

Meek non-confrontational people like myself will never get a "reputation." I have seen post counts significantly higher than mine at zero too.

This post is getting a lot more replies than I thought it would . . . . I hope I haven't started a debate about the reputation system.  I certainly did not intend to.  I am not a fan of it, but at the end of the day, this is not my site.  And the reputation system isn't a huge big deal.  I really did just wonder if there was a way to turn it off or something, that's all.

It is part of the SMF software package