Like the title says, I think that this site should get rid of karma points and comment rep completely.

Just get rid of it completely.

For one thing, there's no reason for it anymore because AsianFanfics' userbase has grown and also simultaneously turned into a ghost town since its conception. On one hand, there's tons of active users but on the other hand, it seems that less and less are focused on reading and more are invested in applyfics and roleplays. The majority of those who do read stories refuse to comment even after comment bonuses were implemented for stories that didn't have much popularity and promised extra karma as well as comment rep for maintaining a comment streak over the course of X number of days.

Other sites don't have "incentive programs" to encourage users to comment but are just as active if not more. Take Wattpad, for example. There is no incentive program encouraging users to comment on stories they read. Granted, there's silent readers on there just like there are on any other site BUT the readers that do comment don't need anything encouraging them to comment. They just do it out of the goodness of their hearts and because they appreciate the author and the story they're reading so much that they just *gasp* comment without getting anything in return for saying something?!

And take Fanfiction.net. It's an outdated website, has terrible rules and censorship of M-rated fics, appeared to be dead for the longest time, and still has lots and lots of activity. Its interface hasn't been updated in decades and yet, users will find and review your story.

Oh, god, how is that even possible that multiple sites can function like this?!

Is it really possible to comment without getting a reward in return for the FREE story you're reading? A free story that some stranger wrote in their free time, poured a lot of love into, and just wanted to share with the world in hopes of getting a little recognition in return?

Is it?

Is it?

Actually, yeah, it is.

Oh, and another thing is karma farming.

Let's get real: karma points don't, can't, and won't do for you in the real world. They can't be converted into real money and they have very little use on this website other than being just an arbitrary statistic you can show off on your profile if you want to. Karma is an annoying concept because these farmers, if you will, comment on stories for a measly amount of points that don't do anything. Like, what's your end game with karma farming? Are you going to run off to Tahiti or Timbuktu or New York with your ill-gotten gains? And tbh, if AFF had a similar system to deviantART and the way points work over there, which you can receive only by purchasing them with real money and using them to either buy items that users have created -- on this site, that would be fics -- or support them, then I'd be okay with karma.

But since it's just turned into a competition to "have the most" to the point that y'all will willingly spam stories for worthless points and excite authors for but a moment only to dash their hopes when they see no new comments despite getting a new comments notification. I mean, grow up and get your priorities sorted out, won't you? The world is not condensed down to fake money on the internet. And yes, I am aware that you can lock your stories to be subscriber only but it's just as easy to just sub, comment, delete that comment, and rinse & repeat.

So yeah. Get rid of karma points altogether or make it so you can only purchase them with real moola.