Reputation in a Forum is supposed to reflect how valuable and/or reliable your responses usually are. Since this forum is information oriented, this system was put in place to allow new users to effectively 'evaluate' the information they were receiving from a particular user who might respond. Like any other system, it isn't perfect, and can be either manipulated, abused, or even just accidentally not used for the intended purpose.
At this point, I'd say that a newcomer asking for information would only need to be concerned if they received a response from someone under 5 Rep Power. The difference in integrity between a Rep Power of say 20 and 200 is almost moot, and anything in between can definitely then be labeled 'status' amongst the community members. This pretty much is the case for all Forums that use Reputation. Again, the concept is well intentioned, but since basically the Reputation is raised or lowered by the community members over time, it really doesn't mean much past between 10 to 20.
Your Rep Power is a mathematical calculation of your Reputation Points. Your largest increases in Rep Points comes on the anniversary of your registration on the board, so annually you get a nice boost. Your actual number of posts also add to your points, but it's such a low number that you really need thousands of posts to make much of an effect on your Rep Power. You can get a decent boost in points if you have a nominated post that wins 1st, 2nd or 3rd for the fortnight.
The 'Thanks' button was specifically setup to give thanks to a post that contained valuable information. Giving thanks also gives the poster reputation points, which I believe is a mathematical percentage or other formula of YOUR actual Reputation that is then transferred to them. Bryan used to have a section that spelled out ALL of these formulas, but I cannot find it anymore. At any rate, as one might expect, the term 'valuable information' that the Admins had in mind was not necessarily what the community members had in mind. Whilst trying to remain flexible with some of the out-of-bounds uses being seen, it got to a point where people were using it as a 'high-five' when ganging up on each other. That's clearly not the intention, no matter how flexible one tries to be, and Bryan put up a post about such abuses. It's not that I think he was too concerned about reputation points being tallied, but that the 'thanks' were a more in-your-face bird by multiple people. That's certainly on the extreme end of things, so don't flame me over trying to get an example across that I think many can understand.
After being absent for a period of time, I was not aware of the post Bryan made (he has recently re-linked to it in another thread). I have been using the 'thanks' as a high-five, because that was acceptable last time I was using the forums regularly. Since understanding his position, I am only thanking posts that deserve a thanks based on criteria I think the Admins wanted, and that isn't as stiff a criteria as some may imagine.
I thank posts that obviously give information that is valuable. I also thank posts that follow up with any additional value, even if it's only one extra point being made. If someone responds to me in a civilized way, I will sometimes thank them, and in that case, we are moving out of dry information into giving thanks for posting and forum etiquette, which I also believe is valid to thank for. That whole category, posting and forum etiquette, is pretty flexible, and sometimes I will thank a post or two in threads I haven't even participated in beyond reading, because the posts were so well thought out and well, deserving of a thanks!
I think the system is flexible enough to allow each member to figure out their own criteria for 'thanks' above and beyond just valuable information. My examples were just that, examples. Clearly the use of the 'thanks' as not a real thanks to the poster, but rather a bird flipped at whomever the poster is in a disagreement with, is what is most frowned upon. Bryan did say an option exists to remove it if the abuse continues.
The 'Likes' thing I haven't really wrapped my head around, so I don't use it. It's confusing to me, because if I would thank a post, I obviously like it, except I know it's not intentioned to be used for every thanked post, and well... then my head explodes.
If someone wants to explain how they use 'like' in conjunction with 'thanks', I'm all ears...
I'd also like to know from an Admin whether or not a 'Like' adds to reputation points, and is it a greater/less/equal addition than 'Thanks'? If you Like and Thank, is the poster getting doubled up rep?
- Keith
Hm I understand now that might not have been the most appropriate word to use, I guess that can happen when you use the translator, even if I try to choose the best expression. I'm happy it caught your attention though 
- I usually skip'em. 
