I second the motion. If I give a newbie -rep, he immediately has a rep-block as overall status.

I don't see the difference between neg repping someone or posting a constructive comment in the forums.

Is this just for newbies not using code tags or something?

>>Is this just for newbies not using code tags or something?
That is one reason, but not the only reason.

I think that would be a great idea too Ancient Dragon. Maybe we could have an option to neg rep a member UPTO our maximum neg rep amount? I don't think I have ever neg repped anyone actually!

I had asked for this years ago, I believe: essentially the DevShed approach of choosing the amount of both positive and negative rep. I'd found even zero-rep agrees and disagrees to be useful.

I think this is a good idea. For example:

Let's say you joined a few years ago and got rep from 10 people back in the day. That would've resulted in 1 block or 100 points.
If you join today and get rep from the same 10 people, this will result in 2-3 blocks (200-300 points), because their rep-power has increased drastically.

So people who joined; took a break for a few years, and then restarted posting, now have a relative small rep, although they got the same amount of people repping them as someone who joined a month ago and now has a monster-reppower. The result is that the nice green ocks, next to your name, say very little about how helpfull you actually are.

But it does say that people that have clout like what you say...

It all depends on your REP POWER,the higher it is THE MORE YOU WILL AFFECT THE USER...

On one site my rep power is SKY HIGH (249713) and if i give rep,they either get ALL GREEN or ALL RED!! (10 dots) -- So i gotta be very carefull on that site giving neg rep cause i cant do it w/o really hurting someone..

What are these up/down buttons actually doing? i.e. if I press the up button - does my whole 6 points of rep power "rep" that poster?