It's a curiosity and mostly a waste of good integers. :) If a post is actually relevant to what you need to know, you will know soon enough.

No more than knowing someone has a doctorate degree...

Yet the Dr. header still has a little bit credit to the title, as does the PHD/MD suffix.

But whether someones opinion on a topic still depends on knowing WHAT field the degree is in.

But the title still indicates that a bit more substance can be given to the speaker and that a bit more digging may be/should be done before completely accepting opinions.

Not necessarily much as I have met idiots in all fields with all kinds of degrees. But more credence that someone off the street.

Absolutely, but there is no way to ensure that only technical answers receive rep. There are also blurred lines between what is technical and what isn't. If someone writes a post on the pros, cons or pros and cons of package_foo and there is a functioning rep system and others want to use that to give rep to the person who posted it, then of course they have to be allowed to do so without having to justify it.

Conversely, I've probably posted technical answers and helped solve problems in the past and received no rep at all for it - mostly because a lot of new users don't really understand it. I'm ok with people saying "thanks" or sharing their eventual solution and other observations rather than clicking on some link and adding to a mostly meaningless score/tally.
I think it was a given that it could be abused.

It's out of our control.

I would say - just get rid of the reputation system and the posting ranks altogether, as the whole thing just smacks of something you'd find on a kids' computer gaming forum or something, but that's just me.

Some thing is better than nothing, as said could be improved but we should also know

Unfair comparison. A doctorate degree must be earned by demonstrating knowledge in one's field. Awarding titles based on number of posts made, in no way compares to an academic degree.

This will be an ongoing debate as long as titles, and especially reputation points, are used. And I doubt Jeremy has plans to get rid of it, so the debate will continue. For ever!

I'm not going to give specific examples, anyone whoreads the forum can see it for themselves.

I think most are ok with it.

Everything can be abused.

If you're "our" means you and me then yes you are correct but if you're "our" is a collective meaning all LQ members then it's not because as individuals as part of a whole we are in control of what we do as individuals.

You can say that.

Any member who doesn't like the reputation system, thinks it's misleading, unfair, or whatever, can easily disable it.

And\or, ignore it...

Not necessarily - you can buy certain "doctorates" over the internet.

As with anything else, it is only an indicator.

Just like having certifications of achievements in any field, it depends on where you get them. Some are good, some are poor.

Just having a MCSE doesn't mean you know anything about how the technology works.

You could also cheat, lie and barely scrape by to a degree.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nuqkuudxbS...d+Fillmore.JPG
http://pissedoffteeacher.blogspot.co...1_archive.html

What I mean is that individuals will use the rep system in their own way and one person's definition of abuse may not fit the definition of another person.

Perhaps the best option is to just turn it off and/or ignore it...

Absolutely correct

Then the explanation of its use needs to be explained by the person who controls it so people understand that it should only be applied in certain instances. But doing that creates work for Jeremy and I think he has enough already.

No one is stopping you from doing so.

This thread is almost like a "what distro should I use" or "should I use 32 or 64 bit." They always bring a crowd.

I have to agree with the folks who wish there was a way other users could easily give us feedback on our answers
without regard to rep. Too often, you put a solution out there, you're really curious if that's gonna work and...
nothin'. The user never comes back to validate or invalidate the solution you researched. It turns the entire process
into a net loss for the person who answers the question. Was I right? Was I full of tse? Who knows?
At least if we had a "good response"/ "say what?" button there would be a way to get some feedback on the accuracy of
an answer without relying on what is all to often children looking to get their homework done for them.

@jamison20000e
Deliciously evil without the bitter, malicious after taste.
Well played sir.