>Michel, am I entitled to points for messages that say "RTFM" and "STFMB"? < BEG >
>
>On a serious note, that's exactly what's happening; someone asks a question, someone else refers them to another message or file or FAQ, and then they get three stars and ten points.

Dr. Steadman,

Are you on speaking terms with me since I'm currently on the "Top Ten List", or do I have to award all the points I've gotten by responding with a WSH based solution to you?:-)

Seriously, I do think that the system has some merit in that it does reward folks in a tangible way that they might not otherwise be able to receive. Of course, that's about it.

OTOH, I've seen a number of solutions rewarded based on a "who was first" rather than who gave the best solution. IMO, however, this isn't a "fixable" situation.

For myself, I don't really care about the system. If someone thanks me for assistance by posting back to one of my answers, that's more than enough. I don't do this for any reason other than giving folks a hand in what can be a very difficult profession. Plently of people did the same for me when I was first starting, so I'm just returning their favors. Whether or not they "reward" me with stars is irrelevant as far as I'm concerned.

I certainly hope that no one takes the "standings" as any indicator of technical accuracy. While it may be some indication of a person's abilities, it's no guarantee that the answer given is correct.