Ok, if I have just gotten 5 mod points what do I usually do with them?
First set my browsing threshold to -1. Though generally -1's are always trolls/flamebait I'll give them a chance too. But there's many an AC out there with a credible post. A typical breakdown of how I'll spend my points now.
1) Generally I look at the newest posts first, I try and be the "first mod" on a post rather than agree with someone else's mod.
2) From that, I generally promote rather than demote. "Interesting", "Insightful" and "Informative" in that order are my most popular mods. "Funny" is a bit difficult for me I find, and I just don't bother with "Underrated" often. I'll burn 2-3 mod points on the above.
3) Often I'll go and look back into older stuff and drop one mod point there on the good post that "didn't make it".
4) I try and spend just one mod point on shooting down a troll/flamebait/offtopic as well, do my part to make sure nobody else has to read that filth.
Also if a friend of mine asks me to mod something, most often I will. I hate to admit to practicing nepotism but eeeeh who hasn't modded to a friends request before.
Overrated and Underrated I seldom use as well, occasionally I use underrated to indicate I like a posting but not sure whether it's more funny than insightful, etc. Overrated is in my opinion just dumb, usually I'll leave alone or mark it for what it is. Yes I've been known to cross-grain mod, if I see what I think is a troll that's been modded funny, I might mod as troll.
With this formula, I've probably gotten close to 100 mod points in my time on Slashdot, and probably 3-4 unfair meta-mods. Oh well can't please 'em all.
