A while back I put together a lengthy Frequently Asked Questions, some of which is now used in the FAQ on Steemit.com. Since then, we've seen significant changes to the Steem ecosystem and have had many new users join us, so I think an update to the FAQ is overdue.

Given that the full document is 56 pages long, I'm breaking it up into smaller sections so it's not overwhelming for readers. I'll be updating and posting it one part at a time. Included in this post is "Reputation."

This section didn't require many updates, but a little birdie said they are talking about major changes to the role of reputation - meaning reputation will probably become even more important in the future.

My following posts will include the categories:

• Payouts
• Money
• Posting
• Voting
• Security
• Technical Questions
• Other

If you have any questions about Steem, let me know and I'll try to get them answered or add them to the updated FAQ.

Reputation

What does the little number next to my name mean?

This number represents your reputation score (also referred to as rep); the higher the number, the better. The lowest possible reputation score is about -25 and the highest possible is 80. New users start at 25.
The reputation score uses a log10 scale with some tweaks, meaning:

• A score of 40 is about 10x better than a score of 30
• 50 is about 10x better than 40
• 60 is about 10x better than 50
  This log10 scale means a score of 70 is about 100x stronger than a score of 50 and 1000x higher than a score of 40.
  https://steemit.com/steemit/@digitalnotvir/how-reputation-scores-are-calculated-the-details-explained-with-simple-math

Why does my reputation score matter?

A reputation score is one way Steemit measures the amount of value you have brought to the community. In real estate, they say there are three variables of the utmost importance: location, location, location. On Steemit, those things are: reputation, reputation, reputation. It’s not to say other variables aren’t important, but reputation will be an enormous factor in your level of success.

It is worth noting that if your reputation goes below 0, Steemit will hide your posts and comments making it very difficult to gain monetary rewards and followers. This incentivises online etiquette and respect for your fellow Steemians.

Why will reputation be a major factor?

One result of developing a high reputation score is generating a lot of organic followers (those who follow you because they value your work). These are people who are much more likely to read, interact with and upvote your posts.

Additionally, many Steemians glance at users’ reputation scores when deciding which articles to read because they know higher reputation scores means it is much more likely quality original content. A blog post from a higher-rep user is less likely flag-worthy spam or plagiarism. Furthermore, the higher your rep, the more effect your vote will have on the reputation of others.

Lastly, uses for reputation scores may change. For example, rather than the trending page being sorted by posts’ value, reputation could play a role in the sorting algorithm. Same goes for comments - Currently, comments are sorted by their value based on votes, but Steemit developers could change it to put comments from the highest-rep users at the top. Also, higher-rep users could eventually receive moderator privileges in discussion forums or chat rooms. Finally, rather than Steem Power being the main factor determining vote worth, reputation scores could become a part of the algorithm.

How do I improve my reputation score? What hurts my score?
To put it simply, add value to the Steemit community to improve your score. But harm the community and your score will suffer.

• Create and post quality original content. It’s all about quality, not quantity.
• Engage in thoughtful discussions in the comments of blog posts.
• Build your following by posting quality content.
• Avoid bad behavior; it can get you flagged.
• Don’t harass other users or become disrespectful due to an online disagreement.
  https://steemit.com/steemit/@stellabelle/how-i-achieved-the-1-reputation-ranking-on-steemit-and-how-you-can-improve-yours

Does my reputation score affect the amount my vote is worth?

At this time, reputation has no effect on the value of a user’s vote. However, your reputation has an effect on the reputation of the accounts you upvote and flag.

If someone has a higher Reputation Score than me, will it lower his Reputation Score if I flag him?
Someone must have a higher (and non-negative) reputation score than you for their flag to negatively impact your reputation. However, upvotes from anyone still help your reputation as long as the upvoter's reputation score is non-negative.

If you see something worthy of a flag, such as plagiarism, and you fear that this user could retaliate by flagging you in return, you can take the issue to the #steemitabuse channel on steemit.chat.

Please let me know if you see anything here that's inaccurate or misleading. Follow me to see the rest of my FAQ updates in the coming days. Payouts is the next category I'll be tackling.