# Little grey rep...



## sage (Jun 3, 2013)

I understand that green rep is good and red rep is bad, but when I look at my User CP, I have some smaller grey rep boxes. What's that all about?


----------



## Curt (Jun 3, 2013)

Something along the lines that someone gave you rep of some sort, but they had too low a post count. Not 100% sure.


----------



## Metal_Webb (Jun 3, 2013)

It means that proto-members have given you rep.


----------



## TRENCHLORD (Jun 3, 2013)

contact from "the greys" aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh , little grey Bstards tuuk my F'n hands!!!!!


----------



## flexkill (Jun 3, 2013)

Or they have rep disabled....is that an option here???


----------



## Grand Moff Tim (Jun 4, 2013)

I thought it meant that the person who gave you that rep has since been perma-banned.


----------



## FireInside (Jun 4, 2013)

^ That's what I thought as well.


----------



## Datura (Jun 4, 2013)

Nothing to do with being banned or not: I could only give grey reputation (or neutral as I think its called) for the first 6 months or so of using this forum.


----------



## sage (Jun 4, 2013)

That makes total sense. Thanks!


----------



## Xaios (Jun 4, 2013)

Basically it means that the person giving the rep doesn't have enough rep of their own for it to make a difference. Generally people who are either new to the forum, or people that have been neg-repped into the red. There's some mathematical formula in the background that figures out how many "rep points" you give a person when you pos-rep or neg-rep them. For example, when I pos-rep someone, they currently gain 28 rep points. The grey box means that the person pos/neg-repping doesn't have enough rep to give beyond 0 actual points (unless they thank a thread, which is an automatic +5 rep points to the receiver no matter who does the thanking).

Also, random factoid. If you give someone X points when you pos-rep them, you'll take X/2 points if you neg-rep them.


----------



## sage (Jun 5, 2013)

Wow. My rep is only worth 9 points. I didn't even realize that there were points until you, uh, pointed it out... 

So I could go on a total anonymous neg-repathon and I'd only be pulling 4.5 points off everyone's total? Not that I would do anything like that. I only give positive rep. Even sakeido's daft comments in the GOT thread have escaped my wrath thus far.


----------



## Xaios (Jun 5, 2013)

sage said:


> Wow. My rep is only worth 9 points. I didn't even realize that there were points until you, uh, pointed it out...
> 
> So I could go on a total anonymous neg-repathon and I'd only be pulling 4.5 points off everyone's total? Not that I would do anything like that. I only give positive rep. Even sakeido's daft comments in the GOT thread have escaped my wrath thus far.



The points are how the number of bars you have are calculated. Each dark-green bar you gain represents 500 points of rep (bearing in mind that the first bar is basically free), then each light-green bar represents 1500 points.

Gold bars take the favor of a Viking God. 

I also wouldn't terribly recommend going on a neg-repathon. Even though we can't see who leaves rep if unsigned, the mods can.


----------



## MaxOfMetal (Jun 5, 2013)

flexkill said:


> Or they have rep disabled....is that an option here???


 
Disabling rep is only available to Contributor/VIP/MVP status members.


----------



## JosephAOI (Jun 5, 2013)

While you mentioned it, Max, what are the qualifications/requirements to be a forum Contributor/VIP/MVP?

I know Contributor is just paying to support the forum, but what about VIP/MVP?


----------



## sear (Jun 6, 2013)

Since it's kind of on topic: someone mind elucidating me of the differences between reputation and the like button? I mean, in theory I understand that reputation is intended for people who buy/sell guitars and that sort of thing, so people have an idea of how reputable someone is. But in practice people seem to use it more like just another like/unlike button for any topic at all, usually as a petty way of expressing butthurt without actually having to provide a real counter-argument.


----------



## MaxOfMetal (Jun 6, 2013)

JosephAOI said:


> While you mentioned it, Max, what are the qualifications/requirements to be a forum Contributor/VIP/MVP?
> 
> I know Contributor is just paying to support the forum, but what about VIP/MVP?



There are no set rules or qualifications for becoming a VIP/MVP, which comes with the same benefits as contributor plus a fancy green name. It's an arbitrary thing doled out by the Admin. 

Hence why we haven't had any new ones in years.  



sear said:


> Since it's kind of on topic: someone mind elucidating me of the differences between reputation and the like button?



Reputation is those little green/red/gray/yellow bar under your avatar and those nice/mean messages left on your profile. 

The like system is just like FB, it gets counted and that's really it. It doesn't affect rep at all. 



> I mean, in theory I understand that reputation is intended for people who buy/sell guitars and that sort of thing, so people have an idea of how reputable someone is.



No, you're confusing rep with iTrader. Two totally different, unrelated systems. 



> But in practice people seem to use it more like just another like/unlike button for any topic at all, usually as a petty way of expressing butthurt without actually having to provide a real counter-argument.



Pretty much. That being said, 99% of the forum uses rep perfectly fine and in a positive way. It's just the folks who don't, or those who get red rep that stick out like sore thumbs. 

Rep has nothing to do with one's standing around here, so I have no idea why folks get so angry when they get a little red box. It means nothing. Really. I've never banned someone because they _received_ neg rep.


----------



## possumkiller (Jun 6, 2013)

Who was that one guy from way back when? Metal Ken I think? He just had a big red line all the way across his avatar lol.


----------



## Xaios (Jun 7, 2013)

possumkiller said:


> Who was that one guy from way back when? Metal Ken I think? He just had a big red line all the way across his avatar lol.



Back when Chris was the admin, mods could control the amount of rep that they appeared to have (Metal Ken was a mod in those days). Ironically, when Alex became admin, he turned that off and Ken became permanently stuck with it. Not that he particularly minds, in all likelihood.


----------



## MFB (Jun 11, 2013)

Darren has black rep because he disabled his, as per his ability as an MVP

Metal Ken has a shit load of red


----------



## Origin (Jun 11, 2013)

I still maintain that the rep bar system is pointless, so don't even worry about gray. Christ, I might turn contributor just to get rid of it.  Feedback score's where it's at.


----------



## Don Vito (Jun 12, 2013)

Being a contributor, I've thought about getting rid of it altogether, but the neg rep makes me smile at times.


----------



## FireInside (Jun 12, 2013)

Origin said:


> I still maintain that the rep bar system is poiintless Feedback score's where it's at.




Agreed.


----------



## Xaios (Jun 12, 2013)

Pfft, only if you use this site as a glorified Craigslist. 



MFB said:


> Darren has black rep because he disabled his, as per his ability as an MVP



Uh, no he hasn't. 

(He has the ability, but his rep appears fully functional.)


----------



## MFB (Jun 14, 2013)

Xaios said:


> Uh, no he hasn't.
> 
> (He has the ability, but his rep appears fully functional.)



Huh, at one point he had it turned off cause I thought "Oh shit, thing's just got real" but I guess he turned it back on


----------

