those + and - and !

Yes they do count as does the 'best response'. You can only give a best response to a discussion you start but are able to give a positive (+) rating for any discussion or response. In fact I have just spent the past couple of hours going through all the discussions I have started to make sure that they all have a 'best response' and also gave some positive (+) ratings. There was a bit of a problem doing that a couple of weeks ago, so decided that instead of responding to discussions of my friends that I should acknowledge the efforts of others. :)

I have always done this. I was told when I first joined here on mylot to rate the discussions that I like. If I think it warrants a + then I give that person one. It does somehow help with the pay, I am just not sure how.

I try to always rate the posts I read. Once in a while I forget to do it. But if everyone would do it, it helps out. Now those with one or two word answers, I don't bother rating unless it is with a negative.

I did know about this, but I'm glad you posted about it because there are a lot of people who don't know about it. Everyone should rate more. It helps all of us.

yeh i have always used them since i made a topic asking about what they did when i first came here :) so now i give + to all good responces and - to the crap ones that asnswer topics with a crappy yes or no or a one worded answer as i feel if everyone did this to them then they might get the hint and say something useful lol :p

they are a way for you to let the poster know if you like their writings or not a plus rates as good a minus as bad

Another thing deebomb is that now we can also rate photos that are uploaded into discussions and/or responses. That is a real bonus and I think it might make people more inclined to upload, or at least I am hoping that it will do so. :)

I always knew it. I read it in the guidelines, I try to give everyone a+.

sometimes I forget to rate. but I am going to rate everyone+++++++++++++++

I rate every thing I read.