Tutorial: How to Give Negative Reps

**EggbertEatsBugs** · May 27th, 2005, 05:07 PM

It's an ugly subject, but no sense sweeping it under the carpet.

Many of us use the rep system predominantly to give positive encouragement, approval, and praise to fellow EFers, but the fact is we will on occasion use it to express our disapproval for something we read. It is our right to do so, after all, it's a way of voting, and sometimes disciplining a fellow member who is not getting the picture of what is acceptable.

What I have noticed is that some take it to heart more than others, and it can become an unpleasant exchange out in the open forum. That's not something that everyone wants to read, and such exchanges become a clean up effort for the Moderators, and effectively destroy what might become a good contribution. So I have a suggested guideline for those who wish to use the negative reps with posters. Keep in mind, these are suggestions which have been generated through trial and error. I have, myself, recently ignored these guidelines, and so this will be my new approach in hopes of creating a better atmosphere out in the forum.

1) If you neg rep someone, don't leave a post stating so on the thread. By doing so, you have called someone out in the open forum, and that turns a thread with possibly admirable posts into a pissing contest. It's hard to know how people will react to negative input, so assume it's going to get messy.

2) Use the PM feature to explain your actions. If you feel the need to explain why, do so by addressing the poster through a PM, if you can't fit it all in the rep window. A lot of posters will welcome the explaination if you take the time to approach them by sending them mail.

3) If the poster responds on the thread to your neg rep, let it go. Negative feedback is going to generate a negative response a lot of the time, so expect some unhappy campers to lash out at you for the rep on the thread. What is most important is to leave the rep you want, explain why if you feel it's necessary, and move on. Anyone who posts a particularly crass disapproval to a neg rep received is going to get slammed with negative reps by those who didn't have an interest to begin with, so let the forum members back up your actions, rather than going toe to toe with the poster out in the open.

I think that if we all try to exercise restraint, it will still be an effective tool, and give the Moderators a little less clean up. If you have other suggestions, feel free to add to the list.

**Adonis** · May 27th, 2005, 06:13 PM

great post, I do use the negative rep function when i find a psot not pleasing or unpleaseant. But I aslo recieve Pms from members demanding why the where negative repped. I just ignore them and continue, as I provide a reasoning in the comment I leave n the neg rep

**Bambino3** · May 28th, 2005, 12:43 PM

Thanks, guys. I'll have to keep that in mind. I have yet to neg rep someone. But I'm certain the time will come.

**bramstoker** · May 30th, 2005, 08:48 AM

Thanks Eggbert, you're a calm voice of reason. I agree with what you said. It may be the best way to handle things without fights breaking out in the forum all the time. Although, I have on occasion made negative comments in the thread in the heat of the moment, and I almost always feel bad later after I have had time to think about it. Thanks for the post.

**nik888** · May 30th, 2005, 06:00 PM

What if you neg rep someone and they in turn neg rep you for revenge?

Has that happened to anyone?

It's a thought that has been on my mind lately.

**brucew63** · May 30th, 2005, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nik888

What if you neg rep someone and they in turn neg rep you for revenge?

Has that happened to anyone?

It's a thought that has been on my mind lately.

It happened to me. I lost about 2 nanoseconds of sleep over it.

**bramstoker** · May 30th, 2005, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nik888

What if you neg rep someone and they in turn neg rep you for revenge?

Has that happened to anyone?

It's a thought that has been on my mind lately.

Of course it will happen, unless they don't have a clue what's going on and don't know you neg'd them. It depends on how serious you are about it, and how much you are willing to risk to speak your mind. I think most of the people that get negative reps are newbe's or members who have Rep Power 0, that way they can't fight back. Or maybe 1-2 at best so the blow-back is limited. Why do you ask? Have you been thinking of "neg" repping Melo for starting new threads?

**nik888** · May 30th, 2005, 09:50 PM

The thought had crossed my mind.

Melo's been throwing up threads left and right like crazy!

It's all I can do to keep up with the guy!

I mean the guy won that kick ass Shuffle already and all that did was add fuel to the fire of his threads!

I tell ya, he wants that PSP that FitnessPhotos is giving away!

He's probably like, " Yeah, that Sony PSP would go great with my new Shuffle that I won."

I wouldn't be surprised if we found out he has like a quota of threads to make per day!

He's one of the many reasons that make me and alot of other members so addicted to this site!

**Old_Fart2** · June 1st, 2005, 03:24 PM

Don't ever neg rep Emreka! You'd vanish in a puff of smoke if he neg repped back (He is the EF God, all-powerful)

MSean15 · June 1st, 2005, 07:40 PM

Can you actually see when your given a negative rep?

**bramstoker** · June 1st, 2005, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSean15

Can you actually see when your given a negative rep?

You know how to access the User Control Panel (User CP), right? The second "button" at the top of the page.

Green box = Positive rep
Grey box = Positive or Negative rep? (people with Rep Power 0)
Red box = Negative rep

MSean15 · June 1st, 2005, 08:24 PM

OK, I thought the grey ones where negatives at first. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Bullwinkle · June 2nd, 2005, 06:31 AM

Great post by EggbertEatsBugs and additional comments by others.

Negative rep points, if use with precision, can have a positive effect. I’m an example of that. My original start with the forums started out doing the “dark side” (PW) stuff. After receiving negative rep points with comments (some constructive, some vindictive) and a couple of PM’s from Moderators, I understood the system and appreciated what it represented. The combination of views represented by the negative points had a sobering effect. That along with the combination of words of encouragement by some produced the right community mind set.

Negative points, if they are used with a constructive goal in mind, can be a good tool. However, there are always going to be those that use them just to throw darts and justify some point. Remember, it may not be the message itself, but the tone of the message and how it is delivered.

**PLover007** · June 2nd, 2005, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nik888

What if you neg rep someone and they in turn neg rep you for revenge?

Has that happened to anyone?

It's a thought that has been on my mind lately.

Of course that's why reneg repping someone should be forbidden for say 3 or 4 months.
I only once was neg repped by a very big wouf and thought it was an onjust neg rep. I immediately thought about neg repping him too. But since it was a very big wouf, I let it go. Maybe I would have been rereneg repped out of the forum. I still don't feel well about it and found myself a coward, being afraid of reneg repping him. Now that's crystal clear to me; is it to you too ?