What is "rep power" vs. those green bars at the top? How are they gained? I figured it was time I actually learned what all the stuff was next to my moniker.
I think they're sort of vestigial. This software can allow users to get reputation that builds, and getting repped from more powerful posters helps build that reputation faster. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but it always seems to degenerate into repping circles and it all becomes meaningless. I'm pretty sure that we just don't have it all hooked up here. Ed O.
If you're repped by Thrilla you'll get 8 points (his rep power is 8). From what I've seen, you get a new green bar every 100 milestone. I would assume you have 300 and something (you always start with one green bar). From what I've seen, you get one rep power point for every year you're a member, every 10,000 posts, and if you're a staff member you get extra points. So I've been here for 3 years (3 points), and have over 10,000 posts (4).
http://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/vboptions_reputation http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php/175282-Reputation-and-Rep-Power?
If you click "Settings" in the top right corner of the web site, the center of the page has a table of the most recent rep you've been given with whatever messages might have been attached to those rep instances. The header on that table also has the total rep you've been given.
You start with 5 or 6 of them and the more popular you are, the closer you get to one. Bluefrog is quite popular.