*6* weee!!

Who told you that, Annie? There are two statements in the FAQs which may be relevant: 1) "The DRS is factored into our proprietary earnings algorithm, so this will help us properly reward valuable contributions to the myLot community." 2) "Your myLot Reputation rating takes into account various factors including the Discussion Ratings System (DRS) and is based on a scale of 0 to 10 stars with 10 stars being the highest." In other words, the Discussion Rating System (the number of '+' or '-' ratings you get for your posts) has an influence on both BUT that doesn't imply that your 'star' (or 'myLot reputation') has any direct effect on your earnings: that is simply something that someone with a sloppy understanding of logic has deduced. Naturally, if you get a lot of negative ratings, your 'star' will go down and you will ALSO earn less for posts which get negative ratings but if you happen to post something that a lot of people think is great (and rate accordingly), it's the ratings for that post that matter, not your overall reputation. What I mean to say is that EVERYONE has a chance to redeem themselves and to earn as much as anyone else (regardless of their current 'star' value) by beginning to post good quality responses and getting '+'ve ratings for them. It's certainly a good thing to use the rating system, but abusing it - by either giving an individual all negative or all positive ratings - is detected and, believe me, noticed by Admins. As it says in the FAQs, "The DRS algorithm is very complex and will detect many forms of inappropriate ratings. If a user is trying to game the system, this abuse will only hurt the user." The only real way to use MyLot is to be honest, open and understanding of the aims of the site (as I know you are, by the way). "Higher the star, higher the pay rate.", however, is NOT actually true, though it may look like it, in general, because - inevitably - your 'star' reduces or increases according to the OVERALL ratings you get and also your earnings tend to increase or decrease (for each individual post) according to the ratings that post gets. It's a very crucial difference!

Unfortunately, this discussion is likely to be removed, I see, (because it's 'celebrating a milestone', apparently.) I hope that some, at least, get to see the important point I make!

Thanks, owl, I think , although I may be more confused than ever, now. And I only plus people when I like what they have to say, I minus if I think they are too negative, or being cruel or mean to someone. Tess hasn't done that, so I haven't been doing anything against the rules in wanting her star to go up. Thanks for acknowledging that, too, I appreciate it. And, um, I don't know, don't think I remember who told me that, but I will try to remember. Although, by the time I do, you are correct, I'm sure this discussion will be gone. And I know that Tess could use any more money that she can earn here, since the maggot took her for everything and kicked her on the way out, every chance he got, too. So, it isn't as simple as I thought, but sort of, kinda, a little bit, eh? It is the rating of each post that warrants different pay scales? Hmmmm. Oh, well, I'm going to carry on, as long as I have the time.

wait is it that star thing by your name