reputation

[Togakure]

You seem to be doing just fine here, Askthepizzaguy: 156 friends--a better indication of reputation than any "system" would provide. Good character and behavior reap rewards without need of such things.

It's not an issue with me, but I was thinking along the same lines as Caravel, above, in regard to awards--that patrons who have not yet earned an award might feel more at home and "one of the crew" if awards weren't displayed on every post that a notable patron makes. In addition to being seen on their profile, a Hall of Fame page, linked from the main page, could be used to honor our great ones without potentially alienating newcomers. But as I said, our current method seems fine.

Edit: after posting this I looked and found the link to the awards area. In my musing above, I was thinking something more prominent, like a small HoF banner on the main page of the forum that linked to a more aesthetically appealing page, showcasing those who have been honored over the years. As it stands, the award page is hard to find, a choice on a list of choices, and the page looks like a simple SQL result set (I would guess it actually is, heh). Great for maintainability, but not much of a visual. A small banner with HoF on the main page would enable one-click access to a nice, artistically designed page listing all the award recipients and their accomplishments. I'd guess that board performance would improve at least a little, as the award icons would not have to be loaded. Anyway, just some thoughts.