Quad, and to everyone else in this thread. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and you do make a very good point, despite your colorful enterpretation.

This is why freedom of speech is so protected in a democratic nation like the USA and Canada. (I really hope there are others) This is the only reason I am responding to this thread. I cringe when I have to hear language like you used to express your feelings.

As a boy my Father would literally beat the sh*t out of me if he even thought I would use such profanity, not because he was a prude, or ultra religious, but because he did not want anyone around him to be "forced" into having to endure "anything" they do not wish to endure.

My Father was a freedom fighter of the first degree, he fought for our freedoms and our "way of living" in the Phillipean Islands, Okinawa, and Japan. He was involved in the "clean-up" of Japan. I am sure the carnage, and the reactions, of the families of the people we vaporized with a nuclear bomb back then stayed with him until the day he died. His cousin, possibly his best friend, was one of the physicists who worked on the government project that developed that insanely massive overkill of destrutive power. My Father, was in the military intelligence team charged with the glorious task of assessing the damage, damage that is still killing people today! His cousin went totally insane a few years after we unleashed his hard work on our enemy. He (dad's cousin) bought an old car for 20 dollars, and drove it off a cliff, back in the 1950s.

Sorry for the horror story people, I am simply trying to tactfully get to my point, without hurting peoples feelings, or spouting colorful metaphores. Bear with me for just a bit longer and I will attempt to conclude this diplomatically.

This is not at all about APs, this is about presentation and positive (or negative in some cases) reinforcement. In the case of the AP system, it is a visual representation, of how this community approves of each content contributor. Be it positive, or negative. At a glance, you can see how a member stands in this community of professional "nit-pickers" and perfectionists. I understand that many people have many different ways of expressing themselves. If you go back and read some of the flamewar threads I involved myself in, and others to their dismay. I came very close to getting banned, not because I didn't contribute useful information, or false and misleading information, but on how I expressed myself when I "knew" I was right, and sincere about something. Usually, I was real proud of how I solved a problem, or helped a newbie through a problem, only to get an AP assignment with some rude comment. I even got one comment that dissed me for supporting the efforts of a person whose ethnic backround was not accepted due to his poor English and spelling.

I suppose the moral (or point) of my long, and boring story, can be summed up with an old saying that goes something like, "You can attract alot more ants to honey than you can to salt.

When I finally realised this, I stopped getting negs and nasty rude comments. And I can garrantee I will get some rude or otherwise thoughtless reaction to my contribution in this thread, but I say "so be it!" and turn the other cheek, for I will get back ten times the praise for every "dis" they can deliver.

I thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken...

I hope I presented this opinion without making anybody mad. If I did I will apologize now. Cheers... and Peace Out, as I have heard some say lately.