It's now been over 12 years since we rolled out the first version of the Karma system (see: [New Feature] Instant Karma is gonna get you!). It's evolved a bit since then, but it is still essentially the same system. And I'm not going to make any sweeping changes to it today, either.
Overall, I'm fairly satisfied with the system, and I think it has achieved its primary goal: reward the people who make helpful posts, and diminish the impact of the people who make obnoxious posts. There are certainly people who don't like the system, but I think it's more clear than ever that the most vocal critics of the karma system are antisocial fuckwits. Good riddance.
The concept of "liking" content on the internet has also become quite a bit more mainstream than it was 12 years ago, too. My original positioning of a thumbs-up as being for helpful posts now seems antiquated. On social media, people "like" things for all kinds of reasons. Helpful is but a single reason. The fact that it is the reason I personally care about most (as a forum admin) is lost in the noise.
With the advent of notifications at Modern Vespa, I think we have closed the feedback loop. You will now get immediate feedback when someone gives you a thumbs-up, and I think this has already started having an impact. So I'd like to move away from my antiquated notions of the thumbs-up being for helpful posts. It's now for whatever you want it to be. Helpful? Funny? You just like that member? No problem. Some of you were probably already using it that way.
With that in mind, I've removed the limits on how many thumbs-ups you can give any single user. There's still a limit on how many thumbs-ups you can give across all users per day, but this number is fairly large and I don't expect any of you to hit it. (Please don't try. Please?)
That said, abuse of the karma system is still something I'm worried about. Over the years, it's become pretty clear to me that the biggest issue has been over-use of thumbs-down, not thumbs-up. This usually takes the form of a petty vendetta, where one user really doesn't like another user, and goes out of their way to give every single one of their posts a thumbs-down. You might be surprised to learn that the largest single-user-vs-single-user thumbs-down counts are some of the most well-known names at Modern Vespa -- people who are otherwise well-liked. And often, it's mutual, with a similar number of negative ratings going the other direction.
Please don't do that. It's petty and pathetic.
I could simply remove the thumbs down altogether, which would be in line with virtually every social media platform on the planet. And I've considered it. I think it is a useful tool, though. I think words should have consequences, and the karma system has undoubtedly resulted in better behavior overall at Modern Vespa.
Instead, I am going to simply reduce the potential for abuse. From here on out, you can have ONE thumbs down per day. Period. This applies to moderators as well. ONE is all you get. I would like to ask that you use it thoughtfully and carefully, and only when it is really warranted.
Now go forth and post!