You makes some valid points however I will have to disagree with some it, at least now that I've had a chance to see how the
system works in a live environment.
If I dish out a like (or a thanks) that person has provided value to the forum. Or, that person has made the forum a better place. For example, I got several likes for locking a thread which linked to an MLM -- that makes this a better place to be. Did I provide "value" from an entrepreneurial
perspective? Probably not. However, I did provide value from the forum's
perspective -- keeping it clean and free from spammers, MLMers, and whatever else.
If someone posts a funny GIF and I LOL and then I dish out a like, they have provided value to my life. I laughed.
They made this place better. They enhanced the community. I enjoy their presence. While the "value" might have not been directly business related, or some new epiphany, their contribution was welcomed.
Rep isn't all about "
who is giving me the entrepreneurial secret sauce" but "
who is an asset to this community".
If someone contributes
time and a
post, and that post receives LIKEs (regardless of topic/content) then that to me, is a community asset.
In light of "rep" going to stupid posts and what not, I made sure that
valued contribution was weighed heavily, and "participation" was weighed weakly.
Here is a list of what creates "REP $" (Currently, could change based on user patterns)
--------------------------- DIRECT VALUE
You Host or Give and
INSIDERS Call: $500 (haven't applied these yet.)
Your Thread Gets Golded: $100 (haven't applied these yet.)
Get follower $25 (If you get followed, someone likes your shit!!)
Your thread get's stickied: $25
Rep Transfers: Min $10 (user determined.)
Get like $5
Get thanks $5
----------------------- MISC PARTICIPATION
Complete full profile: $5
Create new thread: $1
Your thread receives a reply: $1
You vote on a poll: $1
Follow a user $1
You post a status update: $1
Upload avatar: $1
Report spam: $1
If this is happening, then that person is providing value. There's no way to game the
system. Value providers will always do better than participators who will always do better than the takers. Theoretically, someone could post 2,000 garbage threads and get 2,000 rep bucks but practically, after 3 or 4 "garbage threads" that person would probably be booted.