# Off Topic > The Water Cooler >  >  Rep points system

## ImranBhatti

I still could not understand rep points system.
some time an OP clicks * and the helping member gets 1 points and sometimes more than 1 points are added.Is this depends on the comment that OP writes in the rep dialogue or what?
I am curiousssss.....

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## JBeaucaire

The points awarded on each REP event are based on the giver's experience on the forum.   Everyone starts at 1 and progresses slowly upward.

At this time your rep power is 4 pts, that's what everyone you give a a positive rep to gets.
By comparison, my rep power is 20 pts.

The more posts you make (experience) the higher your level grows, slowly.

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## ImranBhatti

Thanks Sir Jerry.
So is it documented somewhere in a section of forum that how many posts give you the power of 1 rep point?

And what do the number of green tiny buttons indicate underneath the member IDs.i.e. I have 2 and you have 10 and now no space for further buttons.

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## FDibbins

I am also at 20, and no, there is not really anything laid what your rep "power", and if you think about it, for most members, it will be constantly changing.

The green bars indicate what that member's reputation level is.  I think the dark green bars are worth 1500 each and the light green bars are 500 - or something like that

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## xlnitwit

By my reckoning, the dark green bars are 100 each, and the light green 200 each, thus 1700 to get a full set.

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## AliGW

I'm not sure that reckoning is quite right: I suspect that you need 2000 for the full gamut, as I only recently achieved it and I currently have 2461 rep points. By the way, there are five dark and SIX light green bars, so 11 in total.

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## TMS

I'm sure the Admins know better than I but ... I seem to recall that, after you have made at least one post, you start with a rep power of 1. Then, I think, you have to earn 100 rep points for each of the dark green bars. And then you must earn 200 rep points for each of the light green bars. So, when the line is full, you will have earned at least 1700 rep points. I'm not sure if your rep power goes up by 1 each time you get a bar but I guess it might be linked to that. On top of all that, your rep power increases by 1 for each year you have been a member of the forum.

I'm not sure what my rep power is, there's no way of telling, but I think it's about 16.

Edit: I think xlnitwit is correct at 1700 rep points, not the 1800 I had wrongly calculated.

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## AliGW

There is an easy way of telling, but it would be an abuse of the rep system.  :Wink:

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## TMS

@Ali: yes, I know. I guess you could just ask someone after you've repped them  :Smilie: .  For a clever or interesting answer, of course.

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## xlnitwit

I would guess that admins and moderators could simply look it up for you? (based on post #2 admins at least certainly can)

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## TMS

I seem to recall that Moderators could see rep points but not rep power. As you say, obviously the Admins can see all.

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## ImranBhatti

Oh....now I look at these bars again and can see that there are dark and light bars which sir Ford talked first about.

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## bakerman2

Also the text displayed when you put your mousepointer on the green bars gives an indication of the number of rep points earned.
Every so much points the text changes until you have reached 'a reputation beyond repute' which means you have 2000+ rep points earned.

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## JapanDave

Everyone just rep me and I will tell you all if it is working OK.  :Wink:

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## AliGW

Moderators are unable to see rep power (well, I can't, anyway).  :Smilie:

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## MarvinP

If you click on Settings, you can see your total Rep points above any you have received in the title called "Latest Rep Points"

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## AliGW

Yes, rep points can be seen in settings, but not rep power (if you're replying to me, Marvin).  :Smilie:

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## FDibbins

Only admins can see rep power

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## apo

The rep system (to get to Forum Expert) seems slightly flawed to me..

I have more than enough points to be awarded Forum Expert..  but I have not made enough posts to be awarded that..

Yet i see others that would have less points but more posts ( *cough* spam *cough*) that have. I am not really interested in posting trivial questions or saying "You're Welcome" to every solution i have done....  ask a question if it is pertinent and then provide a solution...

Sure.. if you have thousands of helpful posts like most of the gurus here have.. then do whatever you like.. as you have earned it.. but.. just saying.. I definitely have noticed a certain subset of members that seem to have worked out if you spam your a$$ off and answer easy questions.. then you can advance quite easily..

I also think some go overboard with the begging in their sigs to click on the Rep button.. but, hey.. that's just my opinion.

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## cytop

+1 to paras 4 & 5.

The rep system is over-rated and just leads, in some cases, to a race to the bottom. The 'begging' sigs just emphasise that. 

The preceding is simply my opinion, not a stated fact.

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## TMS

@apo: 





> I have more than enough points to be awarded Forum Expert.. but I have not made enough posts to be awarded that..



Seem to be mixed messages ...

To quote the FAQ page:




> This is the current level structure being followed - 
> - *Registered User*: New users
> - *Forum Contributor*: 60 days and 100 posts
> - *Valued Forum Contributor* : 120 days registered and 300 posts and 150 reputation points
> - *Forum Expert*: 360 days registered, 1200 posts and 600 reputation points
> - *Forum Guru*: Promoted by voting from Forum Expert level
> - *Forum Moderator*: Promoted from Forum Guru or Forum Expert level
> - *Forum Administrator*: Promoted from Forum Moderator level



Just the way it is. As for "begging for rep points", I actually was taken to task by one of the moderators in the early days because she considered that I was doing that.  I think I was perhaps doing what others do now but I stopped.  My signature now includes a line that suggests people +rep anyone who has helped them in the thread.  Maybe that's still considered begging but then again, maybe if people are not aware there is a rep system, they can't/won't use it.

I guess the rep system is a bit like Performance Management which also gets a mixed press.  But how do you recognise someone's contribution if you can't measure it?  Lots of posts doesn't mean lots of answers, nor necessarily, good answers.  High post count + high rep count means more answers than questions and answers that are considered helpful.  Do you look at the feedback about products you consider buying online?

For what it's worth, I've been answering questions on this forum, and others (much less frequently) for just short of 7 years; I've got around 25,400+ posts; and I have just under 11,000 rep points ... no idea what that means in terms of rep power but probably around 16 to 18.

Not everyone says thank you.  Not everyone gives +rep points. And there seems to be an increasing tendency for some people to ask questions and not provide any feedback whatsoever.  On the other hand, rep points from a contributor with several years on the forum makes up for that somewhat.  From my point of view, if someone provides feedback and/or says thank you, with or without +rep, I will say "you're welcome". I consider that common courtesy and closes of the thread.





> I am not really interested in posting trivial questions



While questions are an essential part of a forum, you would not expect to get recognition for not knowing the answer to something, would you?

Just my opinion, not a stated fact ... (  :Wink:  )

How do you get this title ...




> Forum Expert (Lazarus)

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## cytop

I got banned for spamming - actually I reported 2 or 3, one after the other and then got banned; accidentally I should add. 

The custom title was offered as recompense and I thought Lazarus was appropriate  :Smilie: 

Plus - nothing wrong with a sig letting people know there is such a system in place. It's just that over-large "IF I HELP THEN REP" sigs are just a little OTT

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## TMS

@cytop: I like it  :Smilie:

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## Doc.AElstein

Most of the OPs I help dont know what a Rep is, and I dont usually feel like spending a week trying to explain it to them, Lol..  :Smilie: 
_._____________________________
I dont understand the pretty green stripes either, not that I am too bothered much

Reputation beyond Repute ( Full GAMut )













200
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200
100
100
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100
100
 =1600

100
100
100
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100
200
200
200
200
200
200
 =1700


 :Confused: 

I don't have a reputation beyond a repute, and I have 1497 points. Here my stripes
DocAlanAlmostThere.JPG  http://imgur.com/gPUT0j0 
DocAlanAlmostThere2.JPG  http://imgur.com/3g16vOd 
DocAlanAlmostThere3.JPG  http://imgur.com/9A5z8Av 
Doc.AElstein makes solutions like children playing with themselves













200
200
200
200
200
100
100
100
100
100
0
 =1500

100
100
100
100
100
200
200
200
200
200
0
 =1500



Or: 
 At 2001 a Full Gutodology 
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
1100

200
200
200
200
200






1000












 =2100


( Ill let you know what happens, should I have the fortune to be graciously honoured with another 4 Rep points )

_._______________________________________________________________
@ TMS
Hi Trevor. 
I think apo is referring to that he is under the required 1200 posts. I am guessing from his pretty green stripes that he might be above 600 rep points, like 1000  1100, or more depending on what of my screen shots is correct.  5@200=1000 Dark green and started on a 100 light green ??
( I think most people know apo is a real life Expert, at Excel VBA as well as Bier, or Rum , I think  :Smilie:  )
_.____________________________________________________________

@*Imran
Hi Imran*  :Smilie: 
   I wouldnt put too much thought at your stage  into Rep Points and the  Title under the name given to Members in the forum, if I were you.
   Just enjoy being part of the community, contributing if and when you can.
   When asking for help, concentrate on a good posting style, make the content clear and give helpful feedback for others encountering the same problem and make sure you have a good Thread title so others on a search can catch the Thread. ( And do try please Imran,  to be better at marking your Threads a s *Solved*  :Wink:  https://www.excelforum.com/the-water...ml#post4593016 https://www.excelforum.com/the-water...the-forum.html   You are very bad at forgetting that Imran.  :Wink:  I lost count how many times I remind you  :Wink:   )
   Have a good search before posting for existing Threads covering the Theme you are interested in, especially concerning those for Suggestions for Improvement for   and The Water Cooler.  In these forums a quick scroll down will often find the Theme your interested in  a quick look shows there for the Theme of Rep Points:
 https://www.excelforum.com/the-water...ml#post4509092 
http://www.excelforum.com/tips-and-t...on-points.html 
http://www.excelforum.com/the-water-...from-guru.html 
https://www.excelforum.com/suggestio...on-points.html 
http://www.excelforum.com/the-water-...-feedback.html 
https://www.excelforum.com/the-water...on-points.html
https://www.excelforum.com/tips-and-...ml#post4483653 

_.....
   The very best help I have had has been split 50 50 between highly Repped senior Members on the one hand, and Members on the other extreme with virtually no Points or Title who are sometimes very talented professionally that simply only occasionally access the Forum so dont get the build up of points and Title under their name
   I dont think it does any harm to  Rep those that help you, or even those that have a good try. Some are indifferent to them, others appreciate them. Try to make a kind Rep comment as well , if appropriate. *Feedback is most appreciated by most I think*
   But I think you should not  worry too much about your Title under your name or rep count, just my opinion. Enjoy being part of the community, improve your posting style, the rest will follow.

Alan 
Forum Expert.. apparently  :Wink:   :Smilie:

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## CAntosh

> I have more than enough points to be awarded Forum Expert..  but I have not made enough posts to be awarded that..



I felt this frustration, too.  I was quite proud of my rep to posts ratio, and didn't like the idea of spamming "you're welcome" to hit the posts threshold, but I think letting go of my ratio obsession has made me a more pleasant forum participant.  I still generally try to avoid "you're welcome" posts if they'll bump a long dead thread back onto page one, but I try to be polite now if the "thank you" was recent.  Eschewing the ratio pride has also made me more active on the Water Cooler threads, which can be rewarding.

As to the earlier discussion of the little green bars, I distinctly remember that it only took an additional 100 rep points to get my first light green rep bar, then 200 points per bar thereafter.  So you get a dark green bar for free, then 400 rep points gets you the full 5 dark green bars.  Your 500th point gets you a light green bar, then 700 for your 2nd light green (7th overall), 900 for your 3rd (8th overall), etc.  I can confirm the progression up through 3 light greens.  Ultimately, then, a filled 11-bar meter results from your 1500th point.  Presumably.  Ask again in a year   :Cool:

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## Doc.AElstein

> ... Ultimately, then, a filled 11-bar meter results from your 1500th point.  ...



I have a full Gamut, @1507 points 
_..and a brilliant Future  _..
AlanFullMamut.JPG   http://imgur.com/RiWShIn 
_.... in the future I will have a reputation beyond repute @ 2000 possibly , but my stripes wont change.. and neither will I..
So Full Gamut = > 1500
@CAntosh - I do not quite follow yout greens teory ?? something along these lines,
CAntosh

100
200
300
400
500
700
900
1100
1300
1500



But no matter...
I learnt something.  :Smilie:  -



> ....more active on the Water Cooler threads, which can be rewarding...



 *I know what a Gamut is* :Smilie:  http://bfy.tw/81ET

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## JBeaucaire

Things we do and see daily, for months and years, can take on a semblance of irritation in repetition. Such is the case with signatures and the feeling we are seeing unending REP reminders.

For the most part, but not completely, this is an error in perception.

We who are here almost every day doing the work see things much more often than the the usual "come and go" questioners.  For them, it's all new.  Keep that in mind and consider not harassing other members for their reminders to ops old and new about the common courtesies of the forum.   It's harmless if we let it be and let it go.

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## AliGW

OK. I am feeling a little 'got at', whether that is intentional or not, so just to set the record straight, I will respond to those criticisms levelled here that I consider unjustified (in my case, at least):

1. I am not interested in the number of posts I have made. My only reason for being here is to help people. I like helping people. Get it?
2. I have added the line about rep. points in my sig. because (a) the rep. system exists, and (b) I don't think many newcomers realise it does. If it's there, why not let people use it, if they want to? I don't like the 'in your face' flashy sig. that one member has recently adopted, but that's just my opinion.
3. I respond to thank yous with "you're welcome" because I consider it polite to do so, not because it adds another post to my count, about which I care not a jot (see point 1 above).
4. I respond to requests for help that I think I can answer. I am sorry if some people think that I am only responding to 'easy' questions: my competences are not as great as some others' here, but those asking 'simple' questions need answering, not ignoring. If some of you consider it below you to answer questions that you consider too simple, then you are not here for the same reasons as I am. Just my opinion.

OK, so I've got that off my chest!  :Wink:

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## ImranBhatti

Sir Doc.Yes you have reminded me many times.
Here I have asked about is it also mandatory to mark the threads as solved in "Water Cooler" as well but I could not received an answer
https://www.excelforum.com/the-water...ed-avatar.html 

I am still have a mind that since it is "Water Cooler" we discuss off the topic here and we don't need to mark it solved.

Is this like so?

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## Doc.AElstein

> I am still have a mind that since it is "Water Cooler" we discuss off the topic here and we don't need to mark it solved



Hi Imran, you may be right, the Rules are all a bit relaxed here (But in those Threads you asked specific questions and issues which were answered and Solved, but not a big issue )
 :Smilie:

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## AliGW

There is no rule about marking threads as solved, it's just handy and neat and tidy if they are. however, here in the Water Cooler, it's a moot point as these ramblings are discussions rather than Qs and As.

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## ImranBhatti

I am telling my personal experience that when I first registered here for help and of course many Experts/Gurus and even "Registered user" helped me and I thanked them from the bottom of my heart and by doing so I was thinking that I am showing my best wished for the helper. I still remember that some ov my problem were solved and I did not gave rep to the helper. Now I am planning to do so by sitting one every week and search my earlier posts and give rep to those who helped me out.I don't care if they are now not coming (that is my rough idea otherwise I don't know if someone is missing now). I am feeling that I was unintentionally hurt them.

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## CAntosh

> @CAntosh - I do not quite follow yout greens teory ?? something along these lines,
> CAntosh
> 
> 100
> 200
> 300
> 400
> 500
> 700
> ...



Your interpretation is spot on, Doc - that picture captures my progression through the greens thus far.

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## Doc.AElstein

> Your interpretation is spot on, ..



One day,... you shall receive your initiation in to the Club of the Full GAMUTS :Smilie:  ( and may be many secrets may be revealed to you … )

[joke]
From Forum Rules:
https://www.excelforum.com/forum-rul...rum-rules.html




> - _Registered User: New users
> - Forum Contributor: 60 days and 100 posts...you will be able to upload a non-animated avatar.
> - Valued Forum Contributor : 120 days registered and 300 posts and 150 reputation points...you will be able to upload an animated avatar.
> - Forum Expert: 360 days registered, 1200 posts and 600 reputation points...you can upload a profile picture
> - Forum GAMUT: 1500 reputation points… you receive initiation in to the Club of the Full GAMUTS
> - Forum Guru: promoted by voting from Forum Expert level
> - Forum Moderator: promoted from Forum Guru or Forum Expert level
> - Forum Administrator: promoted from Forum Moderator level_



[joke]



_Moderators Note: I added joke tags on for you this time. Please remember to add them in future yourself…._

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## AliGW

> I am feeling that I was unintentionally hurt them.



I don't think you should feel like that, certainly not from my point of view, anyway: giving rep. points is entirely voluntary and just one way of expressing your gratitude.

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## Glenn Kennedy

Competitiveness is a basic human instinct.  I don't come here for the money.  I am entitled to provide answers, in exchange for a financial reward, in Commercial Services. I don't.  Once money comes into it, it ceases to be fun.  My part-time consultancy work (unrelated to Excel) is not for fun.  It IS for the money.

So, why do I spend time here. It's partly for fun, partly to keep the grey matter active and partly for the competitive side of me.  A rep point or two is a cost-free way of saying "Ta Ta" and does not merit being sneered at. If you're not into it, fine.  If you are, fine.  

Whatever "floats your boat".

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## FDibbins

> Competitiveness is a basic human instinct.  I don't come here for the money.  I am entitled to provide answers, in exchange for a financial reward, in Commercial Services. I don't.  Once money comes into it, it ceases to be fun.  My part-time consultancy work (unrelated to Excel) is not for fun.  It IS for the money.
> 
> So, why do I spend time here. It's partly for fun, partly to keep the grey matter active and partly for the competitive side of me.  A rep point or two is a cost-free way of saying "Ta Ta" and does not merit being sneered at. If you're not into it, fine.  If you are, fine.  
> 
> Whatever "floats your boat".



Couldnt agree with you more, Glenn.  Keeps my brain active, feeds like liking to help and share knowledge.  A thanks, either from a "thank you" or from being rep'd (or both) are a great way to show appreciation for help that was offered - even if it was not what was needed.
By the same token, expecting (hoping for?) a thank you, and getting it, kind of behooves a polite acknowledgement from the "thanked one"

As you said though, whatever floats your boat.  This is not a discussion that will ever have 100% agreement

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## CAntosh

> One day,... you shall receive your initiation in to the Club of the Full GAMUTS ( and may be many secrets may be revealed to you … )



[joke]

Haha, some day!  The first secret I need to learn is proper use of [joke] tags!

[/joke]

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## TMS

@Ali, Glenn and Ford: I agree with all your points. With regard to rep, it does float my boat, I welcome it and am grateful for it, and sometimes I'm disappointed if I don't get it for a particularly neat solution. But I also appreciate a simple thank you though it's not so easy to count them  :Smilie: . I also rep people who answer my questions and also those who produce a better answer than mine. And I give rep to people in threads where I'm not involved but where I learn something new and/or interesting. 

I answer whatever questions I can. Some are "easy" but that's a relative term. If you know how to do something, it's easy; if you don't, it's a challenge. The more you challenge yourself, and learn from others, the more you know and the easier it becomes.

A long time ago, in a nearby galaxy, I was a programming project leader leading a team of programmers. In the early days, I took on the complex tasks and the team did the simple programs. As their experience widened, and my confidence in their ability grew, our roles reversed and they took on the complex tasks and I churned out the simple repetitive programs. They had the opportunity to develop and I was able to spend more time actively managing and supporting the team. In many instances, I feel we are able to develop and support the people asking questions on the forum.  There are, inevitably, people who are just lazy and have no desire to improve ... hence we see the same or similar questions from the same people time and again. But, I digress ...

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## dflak

The rep points are nice, and I have to admit that I did keep my eye on them when approaching an appropriate milestone just to watch the odometer "roll over," so to speak.

I'm here because I like helping people. I'm simply "paying back" on behalf of the giants upon whose shoulders I stand.

Alas, as an old fart (68), I like keep the brain limber - some people do word puzzles, others do logic problems, still others brave the Sunday NYT crossword puzzle with a ball-point pen. I do Excel. It is interesting to see what kinds of problems people can come up with. Many of the posts I choose to attack are for my own benefit. They present a unique challenge or I know that they will force me to do research into a particular area. All of it goes into the data bank so when I need it for my job, I can hit the ground running.

I've dealt with regional setting differences, something I would have never come across in my daily data crunching. I've also picked up a word here and there of foreign languages and I learned that the Dutch word for year is jaar which means if you need a 4-digit year, use "jjjj" if in Amsterdam instead of "yyyy." I'm now able to write code to switch the settings and commenting it so the OP can translate my English MSGBOX code into their native language.

I've also learned a lot of non-Excel related things: like accounting, human resources management, geology and training. I even had fun with a spreadsheet developed by an Israeli that went from right to left. Fortunately, named dynamic ranges can also work right to left and it was fun to engage my brain "backwards."

So yeah, it's fun. It keeps me off the street at night and awake in the middle of the afternoon on those days when no reports are due. And, I don't lose sleep over number of posts or rep points.

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## Glenn Kennedy

dflak.  There is no-one alive that is more totally right-handed than me (excluding amputees...) in daily life.  Same for R-L sheets.  OMG.  i can't cope with them at all!!!

It's also good to know that you're a (slightly) older fart than I am...

The important thing to remember about Rep Points is that they flatter your vanity, but tell you little about your ability.  There are many here who outclass me 100 times over, but who have a lower rep score.  I'll only name one name, mainly 'cos he's currently (sadly) a relatively infrequent visitor here.  XOR LX has forgotten more than I will ever know.

So, remember: it IS just for fun and being No XXX in the EF Hall of Fame (or whatever...) probably just measures your personal temporal input.

That said, I do get very narked when I spend an age on a problem posted by a "hit and run" poster and get neither rep nor "thank you".

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## AB33

Since Rep points could not be exchanged for "Vouchers" or cash them in, here is my suggestion:
I will be the first to volunteer to help "Friends of the Earth" or "Green good cause" by giving all my rep points up(The Greens) to good cause. If others follow suite with their green bars, the world would be a much better place to live-in. 

Long live the Greens!

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## Glenn Kennedy

I'm not sure if Greenpeace, Amnesty International or Plan International (each of which received a monthly dollop of cash from me for 25 years or more) would know what to do with an EF Rep Point... or even where to stick it....

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## AB33

They stick them in their Logo; rep points are greens bars after all.

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## Glenn Kennedy

Mmmm.  Irish bars are green bars, also.  Do they take EF Rep points in exchange for pints??

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## AB33

They might, but I am all for a good cause.

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## Glenn Kennedy

And a pint and associated "craic agus ceol"  isn't a good cause???

(fun & music, BtW)

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## loginjmor

I'm with Glenn - Let's all raise a pint!  That's the best advice yet!

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## Glenn Kennedy

I hate to admit it... but you Yanks can make a bloody good pint.... even if it's rather smaller than ours...

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## loginjmor

Yes, but the best pint is the one someone else buys!

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## AB33

Yes, so long as it is a pint of "Guinness"

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## Pepe Le Mokko

> I hate to admit it... but you Yanks can make a bloody good pint.... even if it's rather smaller than ours...



I suppose you've never been to Belgium then?

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## snb

@pepe

Apparently it's only amount that counts....

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## Glenn Kennedy

No.  The USA makes some/most of the worst beer in the world.  Bud, etc, devoid of taste.  USA microbreweries can be superb: esp with a load of the 3C hops.  

I've been to Belgium more times than I can remember.  Some fantastic lambics.  Gueze Cantillon being among my favourites.  And Rodemback Grand Cru.. . Some of it is a tad strong, though.

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## Doc.AElstein

Hail fellow Gamuts..





> I suppose you've never been to Belgium then?



I expect I will be hung for treason, or accused of crawling to help offset any ill effects to me arising from the Brexit.. But I have to confess, after 20 years of the Darker Cellar Beer in Germany, I do find that English Beer does indeed taste, in comparison, as we often joked like Pixs. But to be fair I was not as familiar as I should of been of the real Ale at the time… 
@Glenn: Someone way back mentioned to me our family might not have originated on the “mainland”,
If I get a good test result (  https://www.excelforum.com/the-water...ml#post4646761  ), and find any Irish Blood, will you put in a good word for me to get an Irish Passport ?

_........................
_.--___________________________________________________





> ...have more than enough points to be awarded Forum Expert..  but I have not made enough posts to be awarded that..







> ... seems to be an increasing tendency for some people to ask questions and not provide any feedback whatsoever.  On the other hand, rep points from a contributor with several years on the forum makes up for that somewhat.  From my point of view, if someone provides feedback and/or says thank you, with or without +rep, I will say "you're welcome". I consider that common courtesy and closes of the thread.. ]... But I also appreciate a simple thank you though it's not so easy to count them... There are, inevitably, people who are just lazy and have no desire to improve..



 



> I think there is a growing tendency to being uncourteous  and not saying thanks ...
> I have also noticed that some regulars and experienced users are sometimes giving very bad or no feedback when someone helps or posts an answer or comments  , makes suggestions....When occasionally asking a question , I sometimes get a useful partial answer to which I am very grateful. In those situations saying thanks in the thread is very useful to bump the Thread back up so that other outstanding issues might be commented by others ..







> ...nothing wrong with a sig letting people know there is such a system in place....



 



> ....proud of my rep to posts ratio, and didn't like the idea of spamming "you're welcome" to hit the posts threshold,....generally try to avoid "you're welcome" posts if they'll bump a long dead thread back onto page one, but I try to be polite now if the "thank you" was recent.  .....







> ...the usual "come and go" questioners.  .... reminders to ops old and new about the common courtesies of the forum. .....







> .... I am not interested in the number of posts I have made. .... I respond to thank yous with "you're welcome" because I consider it polite to do so, ...







> ... don't lose sleep over number of posts or rep points.







> .. I do get very narked when I spend an age on a problem posted by a "hit and run" poster and get neither rep nor "thank you".







> ...behooves?? ..  a polite acknowledgement from the "thanked one" floats your boat...



We’ve discussed a lot the increasingly bad feedback and common courtesy in this and other Threads recently. So I think in my opinion it is essential to encourage it. ( feedback I mean not the lack of it.. Lol.. :Smilie:  )
So I will always say thanks for any feedback. But there are up to three alternatives to a post in the Thread that can be used. Depending on the users settings you may be able to drop off a thanks in their visitors messages or by PM. I sometimes do one or the other, or even a reply in the Thread, .. I never gave it too much thought - a reply in the thread  is sometimes the quickest, so I can understand more active members would do that more often possibly.
Very occasionally an OP will give detailed Feedback including code / measurements of test results, explanations etc. That I will sometimes give a Rep and an appropriate Rep message, ( Sadly some newer OP’s may never notice having no idea about Reps and their User Control Panel where they can see them ). Even more rarely, an OP having got no reply will make and post his detailed solution. That often gets a Rep from me. I got a couple of reps from fairly senior Members like that, and that can be very encouraging at a frustrating time. 

 Occasionally I have dropped a PM to remind an OP of an answer he has not respond to from me or someone else. I was surprised that that often gets a response. ( I realise that it is not practical for very active Members to do that). It seems a lot of OP’s unsubscribe, don’t have Email Notifications enabled, and many rarely know what their User Control Panel is. – That is another thing it is good to inform/ remind newer OP’s about.
Alan
GamutOfCeremonies
Behove ? – I am a Gamut ??

P.s. I have just bestowed via PM, by way of  a temporary  recompense,  the Title of Honorary Gamut to member apo

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## Glenn Kennedy

Anyone born on the island can automatically get an Irish passport.  I'm in the anti-Brexit, British Northern bit of Ireland and have both UK and IRL passports.  If you have one parent or one grandparent born on the island, you first have to apply for Irish citizenship (expensive!!) and then for the passport.  If your ancestry is further back than that, you're out of luck...

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## scottiex

Apparently i am "very confident in my ability"... I look forward to "becoming a god in the excel world" I think that is the next one.. 
that sounds pretty lofty   At that point I think I may get delusions of grandeur.

thanks for the analysis doc  :Smilie:

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## Doc.AElstein

@Glenn. Looks like Im out of luck.  :Frown:  . Thanks for the info. Keep  your boat floating  :Smilie: 

_-.______________________________
_...................
@ scottiex 



> Apparently i am "_very confident in my ability_"... I look forward to "_becoming a god in the excel world_" ...
> that sounds pretty lofty   At that point I think I may get delusions of grandeur.......thanks for the analysis ..



Hi scottiex, - Some time ago I was warned that I  _..had an addiction to Excel_ Foolishly I ignored it, Lol.. Its worth thinking a bit when you are at that point!. The Rep system and titles are fun:,  the owner is ._becoming part of the community_, http://imgur.com/Z30T0Pl , and the EF Management have clearly been rewarded, as they have ._been very helpful_   http://imgur.com/Qzb6eP6    recently, for example with getting us on the new sever which has cured many problems, and , I think, has encouraged some Members to come back  :Smilie: 
Alan
P.s.
Thanks for the Rep. - This Thread made me the Full Gamut I am today  :Smilie:

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## philaugust2004

> No.  The USA makes some/most of the worst beer in the world.  Bud, etc, devoid of taste.  USA microbreweries can be superb: esp with a load of the 3C hops.  
> 
> I've been to Belgium more times than I can remember.  Some fantastic lambics.  Gueze Cantillon being among my favourites.  And Rodemback Grand Cru.. . Some of it is a tad strong, though.



You should give the Belgium Winter Bier a go. Very dark and very strong (11% proof I believe)

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## philaugust2004

I'd be lying if I said I didn't watch my meagre collection of rep points(although I only found out last week how to see who had given me rep) but getting points isn't why I'm here. I rarely ask for help as i prefer to try and solve my issues myself because that is the only way I will learn.  I will look at posts asking for help and will often spend an hour or 2 tying to solve the complex (to me) ones  by which time it has already been answered and marked solved but it means I will have learned something and will study the solutions given. I see little point in people asking for help but not attempting to understand the answer provided.
I have learned far more here than by any Excel book I ever used.

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## Doc.AElstein

Hi philaugust




> …I only found out last week how to see who had given me rep … … will often spend an hour or 2 tying to solve the complex (to me) ones  by which time it has already been answered and marked solved but it means I will have learned ….
> I have learned far more here than by any Excel book I ever used.



The User Control Panel ( UCP ) needs to be better publicised…(  https://www.excelforum.com/suggestio...new-users.html  ) – I only came across it when it was suggested to me as an alternative to keeping up on replies to Threads I was subscribed to during the times that Email Notifications were not working. I use that a lot now. More active members use that rather than relying on Email notification as they would otherwise be swamped with Emails

I totally agree the learning is a great incentive to try to answer a Thread. Trying examples/ Problems is often like in school the best way to learn, but when you are answering a “real life” problem it somehow seems more worthwhile and I find that a much better incentive  than trying a “Homework” type question from a book. In fact , personally, I think that is what initially can be the best incentive initially and you should not think to much about Reps and Titles and things. Also you are likely to learn more of what is actually needed in real life. Books can be useful in parallel, but they will soon be a bit out of date with what is the most useful to learn. The learning often helps offset the poor feedback that you often get. 
As far as Reps are concerned, I personally prefer a bit of feedback, good or bad,  either in the Thread or in a Rep message rather than a rep point.
There can be a point you reach however, when you are not learning quite so much. Also for some of the very active Members with many years of experience, the learning they get from answering can be much reduced. At those levels, the lack of feedback can be slightly off putting. Opinions vary, some will say they do it as an alternative to the crossword puzzle, and they know that they  have the right answer, which is enough satisfaction, and healthy to keep the brain active. 
 Also at the “higher” levels, a  bit of friendly competition in Rep count, as Glenn mentioned,  seems harmless and healthy fun.

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## TMS

@philaugust2004: I learned initially form books, and a two day VBA course that I arranged for me and my team.  Then it was a case of applying what I had learned in a real life practical situation ... automating an HR sickness management task.  I recorded macros and asked questions on forums (not this one at the time) and improved the execution and performance of the code.  I find I can't/don't learn just for the sake of it.

Answering questions and viewing solutions helps me to broaden my knowledge.  I learn something new every week, if not every day.


@Doc: I only ever use the UCP for tracking threads.  I don't want/need the emails, whether or not the system is working properly.  I like answering questions and it helps me in what I do ... but I do appreciate the rep points  :Smilie:

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