Cambert - if you've already been on for 18 months, then you've already accumulated the time in spades. I do realize (but forgot) that there are places with modem tax or an expensive phone fee, and perhaps IP's originating from those countries can be prorated or even eliminated (it's real easy to check), since bandwidth is expensive enough there to discourage clones and etc. Voting openly is cool, so long as someone in the PTB is willing to tally up the votes, and we don't blow someone's buffer as they scroll down. What if we were to take JeffH's idea and compress it? Say, set it up so that you can only insert a one-line (80 character) reply (just enough room for someone's name and a real small comment)? That way your name is still public, but you don't have to wear out your scroll wheel to get to the "reply" section :) /P