If you want to have some real fun... Set up a VBmod that automatically includes sender's name on reps after they meet some quantifiable criteria... a certain percentage of reds or number of reds given, or x number of reps in a short period... but dont announce it when you do it, or explain what triggers it once people notice. If anyone asks... Gee, must be a glitch in the system, doesn't seem to be happening to everyone. [Hey... we're talking many hours of amusement here.] "Thanks button" vs "Rep system" A rep system - does what the Thanks button is *supposed* to do... it thanks the specific guy that posted something helpful. It is subject to abuse in a number of ways, particularly if the sender's name is optional. Regardless, if someone has a lot of green blobs they may have a history of actually being helpful, or they may be a very popular troll. As in life, having popularity doesnt necessarily confer credibility. Unlike a Thanks button the rep system allows the sender to include a personal note, which is nice if being used for gree, descriptive if used for red, and subject to abuse if used for intimidation or harrassment. Thanks buttons - These help if people want to be seen thanking a certain opinion leader. Sometimes they're a passive-aggressive way of disagreeing with someone else by posting a Thanks to anyone that shows an opposing viewpoint. As such a thanks system might be more appealing to sycophants and people that try to collect them, but like the rep system the thanks button is frequently meaningless and is subject to being used for reasons other than its purpose. Conclusion - Both are pretty useless distractions at best. Aside from REP giving someone a way to vent without doing it publicly, the only meaningful distinction offered by either is that if you see someone with a RED rep... you can be certain they have a knack for pissing people off. You might avoid hiring him to become your public relations officer. That's about the only redeeming value between the two systems. The rep system is less intrusive and has at least ONE or TWO seeming virtues, so if you bother to have either, use the rep. Having both is redundant.