After some research, the way that reputation is supposed to work in this new version is that if you push the "like" button on someone's post, you are conferring reputation points to them, according to your relative "power" to give reputation. Your relative reputation is displayed below your avatar as a series of red bars. If you roll over, it offers a text interpretation of the score.
Reputation "power" is earned based on longevity as a forum member, post count and your own reputation.
Rep points carried over from the previous version, so all prior reputation and reputation power transferred. Most users don't have much in the way of rep, however. That's why most of the "light bars" don't show any red in them. Again, clicking "like" on posts now confers "rep".
This either: a) doesn't seem to be true in practice, or b) is near impossible to figure out.
Searching the "Help" on reputation, makes it sound like there is a way to see you "reputation power" and there is obviously a way to disable showing rep, but I can't find it (not that I want to disable mine).
Rep points carried over from the previous version, so all prior reputation and reputation power transferred. Most users don't have much in the way of rep, however. That's why most of the "light bars" don't show any red in them. Again, clicking "like" on posts now confers "rep".
This either: a) doesn't seem to be true in practice, or b) is near impossible to figure out.
Searching the "Help" on reputation, makes it sound like there is a way to see you "reputation power" and there is obviously a way to disable showing rep, but I can't find it (not that I want to disable mine).
