[KSagal]

I have found a great many things that I don't know if that many people understand about this system, but maybe that is because of my personal ignorance at many of these things...

I am a very direct man, and while that often does not sit well with some, and my lack of tact doesn't sit well with others, it is something that both my supporters and detractors alike will usually agree to...

I have found that a system that allows "Drive by Flaming" will eventually always be abused in this environment. The only way to curb this activity, is to have people identify their posts, so that they can be made accountable...

Even the measure I just suggested is not conclusive at all. Many people here use names that do not reflect anything other than a fictitious character. Some of us use our own names. (The ones that I respect) I don't have any gripe at all with cute nicknames, but those who are adults have those, and are not afraid to use their names as well. (I'll pick on Desert Seg/Steven as a good example)

In many ways, this forum is not unlike on-line dating... Every profile is that of a neurosurgeon, with a jet set lifestyle, while the reality is that most are 30 year olds that live in the "Completly separate apartment" that is in mom's cellar, and they only Jet set around, if mom let's them borrow the station waggon...

Now, I have found green blocks good (The more the better), red blocks bad, (The more the worse), and grey blocks don't count. For some time you cannot give good or bad rep points to a person you already gave any points to at all, and after a while you can, but seem to only get grey blocks...

I have had the same number of points for a long time now, according to my User CP. Even after I get a run of good or bad comments. I don't know what that means or really care...

I do know that friends of this web site get tremendous amounts of rep points, from someone friendly to them going in and manipulating the numbers... That is okay, we are playing in someone's private property, and they should be able to reward their friends any way they want.

I agree with those who have said that the system is of marginal value at all, because of the ability to have people flame a person and not be held accountable. Unfortunately, if a person is new to this forum, they may wish to use those blocks, especially if they come from other forums where that service may be better managed. If they are unfamiliar or come from forums where they are managed poorly, or not managed at all, they will have little regard for that marker...

Clearly, anyone who reads a number of my posts will see that I am not driven by trying to gain acceptance of the masses. If a bunch of people take cheap shots at me, that is their issue, not mine... But I would be a fool if I endorsed a systems that allows this...