David, I knew you wouldn't like the thread as I was typing it (yep, actually thought of you as I was composing it... ), because as I remember it, you didn't like the idea back then, either. I do understand your reasonings -- as stated above -- although I've always considered you one of the site's better posters with an incredible wealth of knowledgeto bring to the table... I had also mentioned when I brought up the idea to the fellow mods that this was not going to change the posting methods of any of our members who had been around for a long time; it was more to incentify the newer guys who sometimes tend to get caught up in merely running their post count up.

Do certain people become favorites and we (we being anyone, mod or not) lose a bit of our impartiality? Yep, absolutely. It's one of the things we studied in journalism school. Here, on HNI, I think it's for a variety of reasons: Someone can accurately and conscisely sum up a thought in such a manner that leaves the reader actually thinking "Man, I wish I'd written that..." Obviously too, there's those posters who share similar values. In life, people attract to others with like mindsets.

Having said that, though -- I will do my best to remain impartial in affixing an HRAOP award to anyone's post. It will be solely on the basis of merit, and I do think that it may serve to help some of the newer members be cognizant of trying to put value into their posting -- to contribute -- and not to merely see who can reach "life member" first among their buddies.