[Leshy]

Originally Posted by horn

ok, you keep changing what you're saying. is a rep "valid" becuase of the reason behind it or because someone has taken the time to rep you?

I've never changed what I said. The only real meaningful way in which you can determine whether the rep that someone gives you is by having a description that you can either deem a valid or invalid reason for yourself. However, failing that, you could make the argument that reputation given is valid by default as per the arguments I outlined above.

Those are not contradictory statements, nor are they mutually exclusive.

no they aren't. i'm saying that having your name next to the rep would prevent you from acting like an idiot under the guise of anonymity

Comedy "But this forum is full of people who are happy to act like idiots when their names are right next to their posts" option.

i was suggesting something more like the PB system.

As far as I know is this not PB, and the system there only has a "thank you" function so that you can see who has given props to an individual post. How that is even comparable to the system on these forums, or how that is in fact not more of a circle-jerk than the reputation system here completely eludes me.

1: it would introduce the community to accountability.

It would also introduce the concept of neg repping out of spite for neg rep received. You keep on completely ignoring the fact that making reputation named is easily open to more neg rep being given for improper reasons, the very thing that you are trying to solve.

2: it would curb shit neg reps.
3: it would curb circle jerking.

I see absolutely no reason why 3 would be true - as Dante already said, and I even find 2 rather unlikely, given the fact that having your name next to rep does not prevent you in any way from leaving the field empty or lying about your reason to give out neg rep.

The system is already largely self-regulatory since people who are shitty posters and are likely to throw around shitty comments will likely have little to no reputation themselves, and as a result their positive or negative rep will hardly affect your rating.