unfortunately, Cx2 and I have no ability to change the background board code.

How about though instead of scrapping it entirely, simply get rid of the thumbs down link. That way people can be thanked or rewarded, but not put down.

the Core exiles board has a gift system which works like that.

Let's just step back for a secund people, and take a deep, deep breath.
This is a forum system, and carma is not a life-altering thing.
I don't care one way or an other, but don't make more drama out of this than there needs to be.

Malthe.

Hi Robla,
That is enough. You have said it about 3 times if I'm correct. But I do agree with you.

Dark, I understand you. You think its a nice idea, but instead of opinions being thumbed down, they're using the user carma system like a  weapon. It should go. Hey what, I've thought of an idea. Those who vote for the carmer system to go? Could send a private email to Richard or senderman, I think he's Sander, and the people that don't agree could also send a message. Thanks.

Yeah, I do like Dark's idea improved by CX2. :-) And this topic should certainly suffice.
Anyway, if we remove the thumbs down link and all current down wotes, any more sore feelings would be the problem of the person in question then. Nobody would be bullied like this so they could not argue that they are being humiliated or anything any more. Some people will always be a lot more popular than others, that's just a fact the unfortunate ones staying at 0 karma would have to put up with. :-)
Lukas

There shouldn't be the carma system at all. Its like another way of bullying. Also, its like some people have prejudice against Conner. I think the whole carma system should be removed, we don't gain anything from it, its useless in my opinion, and it does nothing than upseting people.

elliot and dark... that is realy horrible... in my school you can play on the inter net if you want untill morning... but you only must not disturb the other mates and let they sleep if they want... the best way is to use head sets. we also have a time when we have to go to our room but no one says that we must sleep... we can go one to each other if we want and talk if we want untill morning... we also have mobility lessons where the teacher comes with us on the street and just walks with us and shows us what we have to do... this are realy usefull... but there are rules as well. we can't get out when ever we want... we need an ticket from a teacher that says that he leaves us to get out.. but i think is realy nice and in the school where i live is not so horrible..

Thus far I've kept up to date with this topic but I've refrained from leaving my own comments.  I'm worried that people will assume I support the karma system only because I have a high karma rating.  Truth be told, I think it is a neat idea to have but I wouldn't care if it was here or removed.  I think both sides have made good points, and Dark's suggestion for removing the thumbs down seems like a good compromise.  Some people will, of course, be unhappy unless the system is totally removed or is left completely unchanged, but Dark's change would make the majority of people happy.

I view the Karma system in the same way Dark does, as a little thank you or reward to someone who has posted something particularly useful or well said.  Sometimes I'll read someone's post and think "Wow, no one could have said that better!" and I'm quick to click that thumbs up!  I rarely bother giving anyone a thumbs down, but I have when it seemed like someone's post was being intentionally distracting to the current conversation.  We all recognize the difference between someone who is struggling with a non native language, a person who is voicing their legitimate opinion, and someone who is just trying to nag people and start a fight.  This is how I choose to use the thumbs down, but I agree there are probably quite a few people who will use the thumbs down in ways I wouldn't.

95% of the time I am only interested in using the thumbs up anyways, so removing the thumbs down is fine with me. 

I feel relatively neutral about the whole thing, though I do feel like there have been instances of people getting a lot more thumbs down than they really deserved. Dark's compromise sounds like a reasonable solution.

Regarding schools and such: I only went to a school for the visually impaired twice, for their summer program, this after having been doing just fine in public school for several years. Since it was the summer, a lot of the students there weren't regular attendees of the school, but I knew a few that were, and one that was I know now, as we wound up at the same college.
The one I know from college seems a little unique, in that he's effectively rebelled from his family and everyone, going so far as to legally change his name. His mobility skills seem to be the weakest of the three VI students that were on campus simultaneously (People might argue about mine because I tend to be stubbornly unorthodoxed with my cane-style).

Aside from those two summer deals and college, I also spent my last two years of highschool in a residential school for math and science. A comparison, if it's not too distracting...

Absolutely everywhere I've stayed that's institutionalized has demanded that I use my cane. Public school didn't start requiring it until around third grade (though, only about two of the collisions I could blame on sight could have been prevented by it. I think the one that got people to decide was when I ran into an open door that was covered in white paper, making it the same color as the walls and floor.). There were instances where I got past this without much hastle; the week I spent at Space Camp, I was told the first day to use the cane (and use 2-point, at that), but the person that gave that order wasn't around much, and when someone pointed this out to me I just stopped using it and noone cared. Of course, I was almost always with a group while there, anyway.
At the math and science school, I wasn't required to use the cane so much as strongly encouraged. Since it was a former hospital / convent / hotel / casino old enough that the legend has it that Al Capone had the room I stayed in the first year, there were plenty of not-so-friendly-shaped staircases and collumns and such. Particularly in the library--the collumns there were rectangular with unforgiving corners. Not that I mind bleeding during chemestry.
Despite the risks, the campus was very small and easy to adapt to. One day I left my room and simply forgot to take my cane, and had no trouble what so ever. Since it was toward the end of the semester, I just stopped using it at that point. I'm sure people commented where I couldn't here, but noone really complained.
College campus is much tougher to navigate caneless, and whenever I've tried people have freaked out majorly. This has had the nasty sideeffect of making me a lot more dependent on the cane to get around there. But oh well.

Comparing the restrictions of the math and science school Vs the VI school...
Well, when I was at the VI school, it wasn't yet "everyone has a laptop at all times" time. Actually, computers weren't really involved much at all. They had notetakers around to demo, and some people brought their own notetakers. There was a computer lab for keyboarding classes. I don't know how access to those went during the regular school year.
The Math and Science school had extra costs for keeping a computer in one's room (electricity and such), and another cost for internet (which is reasonable, considering the emphasis on studying). The library had computers with internet access, and there were multiple computer labs for computer science classes. These weren't open at all hours, of course, but they were open more than enough to satisfy me.

One of the things that rather annoyed me at the VI school was the required timings. We all had to go to eat at the same time for every meal, and weren't generally allowed to skip random events, even if it's just playing bingo in the evening.
The math and science school had relatively tight policies on when and how students could leave the campus. I suspect these annoyed a lot of people, but they didn't bother me so much--keep in mind that we're talking a school full of teenagers. The sign out policies, as I recall, required that noone leave the campus alone, unless it's for a weekend or break and the person has a car and is going home. It was necessary to check in with the residence life office every so often, and we were restricted to the city limits, with some areas in the city restricted (mostly due to unpleasant events in the past).
There were required study hours, though those weren't heavily enforced so long as you were being quiet. There were "lights out" hours, by which it is necessary to be in one's room and not making noise (sleep is optional). Between lights out and whenever-the-heck-maintenance-got-there, each group of dorms was maglocked. Typically, they were unlocked around seven in the morning, though there were several instances in which I had to use two elevators to get past them just to go eat in the morning (two elevators to travel a whole two feet!).

College is naturally so light on the restrictions that it's scary at times. Now if only I could convince people that stairs are, in fact, not terrifying.

I... think I might be a bit off topic. :-/

OK, here is what I think about the karma system:
Dark's compromise is a good compromise. ANd I am often using the thumb up button, but not the thumb down. LIke I've porbably thumbed like 20 people down and only thumbed down 1.

Hmmm, that might be another idea, a "show Karma" link in the preferences, that way if you didn't care about Karma you wouldn't need to show it.

Myself, i've thumbed up far more people than I have down, in fact I think I've only used the down link three times and then only for severe problems with what a certain person has said.

As for canes, well Cae, I think my issue is I really don't see a good reason "not!" to use a cane. I've been in too many situations where I'd be in difficulty if I didn't.

my own view is that I don't use it for anyone else, but for myself sinse I wouldn't walk to walk into posts or down steps etc.

If I'm in a small space like someone's house or a single room, i don't bother, ---- unless in an institution with a large building I  tend to leave my cane with my overcoat, but I do find find it useful.

Then again, when I get a guide dog I probably  won't be use a cane as much anyway.

If however   someone has told! me to use it, I probably would be less likely to ;D.

Luckily I only went to said special school for two years when I was ten,  after which I went to nromal schools and a normal university (where I stil am), which worked out generally better.

Not off topic at all sinse we were also discussing this.

Interesting that special schools provide materials, one of my secondary schools was like that. My only thing is because I really don't know the american grade syste, I'm never sure what a person means when they say "4th grade" or "10th grade"

In England at the moment you start primary school at four or five in year one, then change to secondary school at the age of eleven when your years 7.

You take gcse's at 14 or 15 in year ten, then possibly go on to do A-levels for another two years if you wish, either at the same secondary school or sometimes at a colidge of further education (this is stil sometimes called sixth form even though that system isn't used anymore), after which you go to university to start your degree if you want to do one.

special schools go right the way through if you wish, though as I said I only went for two years betwene the ages of 8 and 10 myself.

Well, that was one of the advantages of the ultrasonic cane, though unfortunately those didn't particularly catch on.

You probably see what I mean about the Us system though Cae, I just find it confusing, especially when you get into all that business of "freshman" and soff mores or whatever that stuff is. It actually sometimes gets a bit irritating when american films, merchandize, and even americans talking to other people tend to assume that everyone knows what something specifically Us like the grade system is even when it's not precisely clear to people outside the country.

durham, where I went to uni and where I'm now doing my phd is a hell of a city for navigation. Cobbles and bars everywhere, many steps, low hanging trees and some truely annoying bollards in the town center.

The only good bit is it's small enough to walk around, one reason why I'm looking forward to getting a guide dog.