[meaubry]

Good question -
I'd have to say that some are and some are not.
Some just want to protect the integrity of the website.
Some just want to keep the threads topics above the flame wars and name calling level.
Some use the ability to negatively rep a poster to send a message.
Some have never used negative reps (me for one).
Every year someone (usually a rookie or trouble maker) gets slammed with negative rep after posting comments that match what we have warned everyone about (see the stickies all over the place???).

I have advocated on many occasions to reduce the number of forums - particularly the ones where the flame wars and troublesome posts usually turn up (Chit Chat, in particular) and I am continually reminded that the posts wouldn't go away - they would be posted on a different inappropriate forum. So, we leave the troublesome forums "out there".

Every year, we hope that the new visitors (not always rookies) read the advice that our long standing users have provided and take heed in the warnings about what and how to post (behave) in order to keep things operating smoothly.

Most of the time - it goes pretty well, but once in a while we have moderators that have to deal with issues.

I do understand the protective nature of the folks that want this site to be managed "within" and at a standard that their grandmother would be proud of - the mantra of a very smart person associated with FIRST. I'd like to think that we do everything we can to do just that.

In closing, I also recognize that "new folks" that may not be aware of "how it works" on this site might need a break for a short while until they read the sticky posts and get used to what the expected behavior is. So, I will inquire to our web master what it would take to modify the rep capability so as to limit the amount a person can get, based on the certain criteria (time as a registered member, number of posts, ect.)

I'm sorry that you got so many negative reps from that post about "freshman" - my advice is to try and make sure that what you post won't be taken as objectionable by others, and to keep using this website as a tool to improve your overall FIRST experience (it really can be a valuable resource if used properly).

Mike Aubry
Engineering Mentor Team 47