This is just a quick and dirty for those who are unfamiliar with Reputation on forums and some specifics for those who are familiar.
The last line of your User Postbit is your Reputation Phrase. This will change and become more flattering as you gain Reputation.
Members may reward good posts by clicking on the Reputation Icon located next to the Online Status under the posters AV in particular posts. This will allow you to increase their Reputation and also make comments on their posts. Some members may also reduce Reputation through this process, although, I hope to avoid much of this.
As the forum sits, you may leave up to
10 Reputation bumps a day. I have set the 'spread' at just 1. This means that you must give Reputation to someone other than the last person you gave rep to before you may rep them again. I hope to avoid members just bumping each other up for no reason. Any sort of manipulation of the system will eventually be noticed by myself as I read
most every Rep comment almost every day.
These quantities may change as the Forum grows.
Who Cares?
This is what Reputation does for the members. First your little phrase becomes more flattering and you gain new Ranks.
These Ranks correspond to UserGroups with better privleges. This can be more PM's, a larger AV, more game play in the Arcade or many other things. I like to think that Rewards are worth looking forward too. Be patient. The forum isn't going anywhere.
Mostly, I just think it is nice to see those comments in our UserCPs.

And use Reputation to comment on posts!! It is better than bumping it and much cleaner.
Thanks,
G.
***21 Mar 06***
Since people have asked and it seems a reasonable request, here are the Ranks so far. I am not going to list Rep/Posts/Time required or each Ranks advantages, however, as this most likely will be changed as the forum evolves.
1 - Shogun (self proclaimed political/military leader of Japan)
2 - Hatamoto (highest ranking of the Shogun's Retainers)
3 - Daimyo (Powerful land owning Samurai)
4 - Sohei (Highly skilled Warrior Monks)
5 - Samurai (the elite Warrior Class)
6 - Ninja (self trained peasant clansmen in the arts of spying and assassination)
7 - Loyal Retainer (recognized retainers to Daimyo or the Shogun)
8 - Ashigaru (regular foot soldiers)
9 - Villager (little more than a peasant with an occupation/home in town)
and then the Peasants....
