Now if everybody had this kind of attitude, I probably wouldn't have minded neg rep at all. I'd be nuclear bombing neg rep all over the place.
Everybody crybabied about neg rep. It wasn't just me. If you gave someone a neg rep for something, they typically neg repped you back, as revenge. I have done it and I have seen others do it.
Actually, I would prefer that we only had neg rep and no positive rep. The positive rep is the most annoying. If you don't get any positive rep, you're left out. And people abuse the positive rep, too, in ways.
This might even lead to more positive rep being given out than ever. It's so easy to give it out now -- there's no choice anymore. There's no option for a neg rep. It's just one simple, efficient click.
You can still be cold to people, though, using this, by simply not giving them any positive rep. Now MoFos are going to be snootier than ever. Indifference will be the law.
Now, MoFos, I think it's time I make a bunch of nasty posts that you can't neg rep.
THIS.
This has been bugging me for awhile, now. Like, the other day me and Yoda were responding to some negative remarks about Christopher Nolan in the
Interseller thread. I felt we both made some decent points and stuff, but who do you think got all the rep? The only rep I got was from Yoda himself. Now, I don't post to get rep, i've got all the rep I need. Once the green isn't displayed in little bits, it's not as fun to receive + rep. But to acknowledge somebody other the other in the same thread where they both make similar points is taking the piss. I'd rather they just didn't rep either one us.
I'll bet that big red number makes everyone more likely to read and reply something, rather than less. I just can't construct a plausible scenario where it provides useful, actionable information to people.
I don't deny that trollish posts are entertaining and can lure people into reading it all that, but the neg rep can still pretty much put things in a nutshell for those who don't have time to read everything. I can spot a troll a mile away, but if I see a high red number, i'll immediately know not to take it seriously and may sometimes just avoid reading it altogether.
I can't make people use it the right way. At a certain point my notions of how something should be have to take a backseat to how things are.
There is no 'right' or 'wrong' way of using the system. It's there. Most people, I would argue, use it for acceptable reasons. Sure, i'm notorious with the neg rep and stuff, but after my first stint, i've only ever negged people who deserved it.
After thinking about it, you're right, the new system doesn't necessarily force us to pat people on the back, but I do think that ONLY being able to give somebody a gold sticker is unbalanced. I really think Harry's on to something when he says that the plus rep should be gotten rid of. You can't have it one way, Yoda.