Since the Stack Exchange suite of sites is not about gaining rep and more about community contribution and those that have been interacted with, helped, and left in a better position than before coming to the site, I propose that the rep on the user card reset to '0' after 999k. This would further solidify the following from the 'faq':

Reputation is a rough measurement of how much the community trusts you

No need to take away any privileges, and in fact maybe another gold or even platinum (very difficult to achieve) badge could be created (quite difficult to get except a few that are on there way to the '1M' mark already).

So what do you think instead of a user card with '1.1M' they go back to '0' and begin all over. After all no one should be here with a motive for the rep points anyway (I know I'm not, but rather the satisfaction I get when able to help someone out or have a question of mine answered). It would reignite the motivation factor to help out those in the community all over again!

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So, after 10 years of maxing your daily rep, you go back to 0? What's the point? –  Oded Feb 13 '13 at 20:34
This proposal doesn't make sense even on its own terms. Only the top few users of the entire site are at risk of ever hitting the 999k threshold, and even for them it will take 3-5 years. And they are the people who clearly least need their motivation to be "reignited." –  David Robinson Feb 13 '13 at 20:54
Well, the last time this was proposed ('“Forced” retirement for top users'), the proposal went all the way down to -115 before it was deleted. There were some good counterarguments there, but unfortunately you can't see them at the sub-10k level. There's also "Should we reset the all reputation point of all users to 0" which is sitting at -38 right now. –  Brad Larson Feb 13 '13 at 23:00
999k rep are you kidding ? –  NullPoiиteя Feb 14 '13 at 3:34
Is everyone overlooking the privileges you gain with more rep? When you go back to 0 you loose the privilege to even comment or something. –  andho Feb 14 '13 at 3:55
Well I feel bad now for the posters to this question. Right over everyone's head. My suggestion: "Take 2 doses of sarcasm and call me in the morning* What did you think I would say next? "It will save on space in memory by not allowing values over 1 million." I was hoping to see at least 1 comment of "This is not for real is it?" Good science experiment success for my research: "Software engineers that can't see the forest through the trees" –  atconway Feb 14 '13 at 14:44
There are few ideas so radical, crazy, or stupid that nobody will seriously support them. This makes it harder and harder to spot satire. Maybe if you had more reputation, people would trust that that you wouldn’t be seriously proposing such silliness. –  Scott Feb 14 '13 at 19:14
@Scott - Why would I trust your feedback, you only have like ~50+ rep points on me here, and that's only because I committed forum rep suicide by proposing this question. :P –  atconway Feb 14 '13 at 20:30
Speedometers don't reset. Odometers do. –  Geobits Mar 5 '13 at 3:12
@Geobits - good point but everyone got the jist ;) –  atconway Mar 5 '13 at 3:14
I'm not sure why this has been closed. As an idea I hate it, but its put forward in a perfectly constructive manner –  Richard Tingle Mar 13 at 14:16
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closed as not constructive by Bart, hims056, Martijn Pieters, Rory, ChrisF Mar 12 '13 at 20:21


2 Answers

up vote 5 down vote accepted

Rep shows how much the community trusts you.

In other words (I see it) the higher rep -- the more the community takes what you say as "good"

It has nothing to do with the user.

I have almost 50K on Stack Overflow -- That shows that some people trust me.

If I lose that rep, I lose the trust.

If I lose the rep on my own volition that is my choice, not the system, and not the community.

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But you would have a platinum badge so I would still trust you. –  atconway Feb 13 '13 at 20:52
@atconway: then why take the rep away at all? –  Martijn Pieters Feb 13 '13 at 21:41
@atconway and what about tag badge ? –  NullPoiиteя Feb 14 '13 at 3:32
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I think it's wrong when you say that SE is not about gaining rep, and "no one should be here with a motive for the rep points". Everyone is here for their own reason, and there is nothing wrong with someone who is here for the rep. If it wasn't an incentive, they wouldn't have it. Obviously somebody is incentivized, and if that's their motivation, more power to them.

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Shoot, this question made me loose privilege to downvote, but I would have downvoted this response. Rep should not be motive and there are 100 scattered posts indicating this. Rep will not get you a job, pay the bills, or anything else of importance. It's a gauge of trust period. Or maybe a way to pat ourselves on the back which is wrong. However I respect your differing opinion that I'm wrong. –  atconway Feb 13 '13 at 21:01
@atconway: Maybe it's that person's goal to be trusted. Anyways, reputation can still be an indirect incentive. By gaining reputation, you also gain the feeling that you helped, the satisfaction of people saying "yes, you were right." Just because someone says they're in it for the reputation doesn't necessarily mean they're only in it to have a number by their name. Trust is hard to earn, and having more trust is quite appealing. –  animuson Feb 13 '13 at 21:39
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