[SIM-2273342]

What is this thread about?
There have been quite a bit of threads (specifically prior to the HF update) regarding members inquiring on whether or not a reputation they have been given breaks the rules. Yes, we are aware that the rules discuss elements of reputation; however, perhaps this will cause the thread count to diminish in regards to the questions.

How will this be broken down?
I intend on breaking down this into a couple of different parts. The primary focus will be on the elements of reputation abuse. With this threads, members will be able to recognize what constitutes abuse, what is not abuse, and how to resolve any potential problems in regards to reputation and the specific member that has given you the reputation. 

What is the purpose of reputation ratings?
There is a lot of debate regarding this. The most important notion is to understand that members are not trustworthy solely because of the amount of reputation they have. It is imperative that, prior to dealing with a fellow user, one looks into the contents of the reputations. Look into any potential deal disputes or community warnings. Take the number at face value -- there are other contents of an account that should be the primary factors in whether or not you pursue a deal.

What amount of reputation can members give?

• L33t - As a member of this group, the user is allowed to give a positive reputation of 1 point, or a neutral reputation. Contrary to the belief of many, this group is unable to give any form of negative reputation rating.
  
• 3p1c - Members who have upgraded to this group cannot give any reputation ratings.
  
• Ub3r - This group was previously the most respected and desired among "normal" members. Those who have obtained this upgrade maintain the ability to give up to +3 or -3 reputation points.
  
• R3kt - Being the newest group on the forum, Omni has created this with the intentions of rewarding members who have been around for a designated time period whilst having over 1,000 reputation. Those in this group can give ratings anywhere between +4 and -4. 
  

Common forms of abuse

• Flaming - People are not allowed to flame or berate members within their reputation. I'd say that this is hardly the most enforced rule; although, I'd definitely keep the insults to a minimum.
  
• Gang Reputation - Members cannot all leave a rating on a member with collusion. This would lead to severe abuse; thus, it's disallowed.
  
• Rep Coercion - Often times, people will leave hints or little tidbits of information that attempt to coerce the person into changing their reputation rating from a negative to a positive.
  
• Reputation Requests - You cannot ever request someone give you a reputation. This applies to asking for positive OR negative reputation.
  
• Scammer Reputation - This is MOST DEFINITELY the most prominent or most common. You CANNOT leave anything that insinuates that someone is a scammer in their reputation. 
  

[SIM-2273342]

What constitutes "flaming"?

Flaming tends to be open to interpretation and dependent on the person reviewing the rating. First and foremost, racism or any other sorts of comments clearly would fall under the category of abuse. Essentially, if someone gives you a reputation that says something like "You're such a fucking stupid cunt", it'd likely fall under the realm of flaming. 

The Problem of Gang Reputation
If you think that someone has given you gang reputations, I recommend that you start to search for and compile any potential evidence that you have. The problem with this sort of abuse revolves around the fact that, often times, it is purely speculation or he-said she-said. It is extremely important that, prior to making this sort of accusation, you are able to prove it.

Reputation Coercion
Any sort of coercion with hopes of having someone change their reputation or leave you a reputation is against the rules. This can include something like a private message saying "Hey, you should probably leave me rep since we did a smooth deal!". Yeah, I am sure you've gotten that message before. It's technically coercion and most definitely against the rules.

Reputation Requests
Often times people will try to go around this problem by saying "Want to resolve our reputations?". That still falls under this category. It is blatantly asking a member to change their reputation rating on you. It's important for members to realize that reputation requests aren't solely for leaving positive reputations; if you ask someone for a negative reputation, you're still requesting a specific rating which breaks the rules.

Scammer Reputations
This has become the biggest problem in regards to reputation. If a person has scammed your friend or scammed you, it doesn't matter. You cannot leave them a reputation rating that states anything in regards to scamming or them being a scammer. Similarly, you CANNOT post something that insinuates them as being a scammer or as being fraudulent for you. The only instance that a scammer reputation is allowed is when the person has directly scammed you and you have consequently opened a deal dispute on said member.

How do you handle this problem?
In order to resolve reputations left on you that infringe on the rules, there are a few different things to do. The first step is to copy and paste a message that will be posted in a code below. Upon sending the member this message, they are given 24 hours to resolve the reputation and change the comment in it to something that does not break the rules. If they refuse or they simply do not comply in 24 hours, you are able to private message Omni about the conflict. Be warned, though, that Omni will likely look into your account and see if you have broken the rules in a similar way. His job isn't to deal with reputation ratings, he has much better things to be dealing with. With that being said, he has stated that he will resolve problems that infringe on the rules.

Code

I am sending this PM to you because you've given me an invalid scammer reputation. Policy dictates that I send this text to you. HackForums policy requires that all scammer inferences in reputation require a link to a Deal Dispute forum thread that you have created. Either you didn't leave a link or the link you did leave is to a thread not created by you. As such you have 24 hours to alter your reputation to be within policy. Failure to do so will result in your reputation being reported to an admin which can result in severe action against your account. If you'd like to confirm this policy please read this help doc:
//hackforums.net/misc.php?action=help&hid=20

Any Questions?
If you are still questioning whether or not a reputation that someone has left you is against the rules, I'd recommend private messaging a staff member. Don't PM Omni, he has other things to deal with and you'll likely be punished. If you simply ask a moderator, they will assist you in deciding whether or not the reputation breaks the rules in any way.

[SIM-3257834]

Question how should we -rep people? -1 for trolling -2 annoyance -3 they should kill themselves -4 scammers. Or should I just use my full ability? Same goes with positive rep

[SIM-2273342]

Question how should we -rep people? -1 for trolling -2 annoyance -3 they should kill themselves -4 scammers. Or should I just use my full ability? Same goes with positive rep

You use it however you want. Personally, I go all out. If I'm going to +rep someone, they're getting a +4. If I'm going to neg rep someone, they're getting a -4. People tend to just do the most they can, I assume.

[James Burnham]

This is actually a useful thread. Every week there are 2-3 threads of some new members asking or whining about reps.

[Charger]

Question how should we -rep people? -1 for trolling -2 annoyance -3 they should kill themselves -4 scammers. Or should I just use my full ability? Same goes with positive rep

I used to sling -1’s just so people couldn’t access the marketplace. Normally you’ll get a +4 or -4 from me. Unless I rep a lot of people for deals, then it’s +1 normally.

[Neal Caffrey]

Why -1 when you can -4 them? And why +1 them when you can +4 them? Personally I'll go all out as well :^)

Good thread though, will clear up some misunderstandings for newer members.

[SIM-2273342]

This is actually a useful thread. Every week there are 2-3 threads of some new members asking or whining about reps.

This is the exact reason that I made this. Hopefully they have a point of reference prior to opening their thread or bothering staff.

[SIM-2273342]

I've already seen some threads popping up regarding this exact topic.

[ForBobo]

Thanks, great post - i couldn't actually find this cus i wasn't looking in the marketplace. Much appreciated.

[SIM-2273342]

Thanks, great post - i couldn't actually find this cus i wasn't looking in the marketplace. Much appreciated.

Where were you looking? Perhaps I could have this moved in that spot for more members!

[SIM-2273342]

This is still very important for everyone.

[Silver Haz3]

It is and thanks for making the thread 😁