Although I'm now into another novel and do not write blogs with the same frequency, I am still very much a fan of JU. I've learned recently from Brad that feature articles require some HTML editing and helps clear up why so few of mine have been featured. But my major gripe is in the point system governing user points--I'm not into the arcane system of what constitutes top blog sites, leaving that to professionals. Since I joined JU some six months ago, I have been trolled to the tune of over 1,000 points. My writing does not deserve such treatment even though I have a leftist view, I still try to give rightists a fair shake, nor would I ever, ever troll anyone having an opposing view and I know most of you have the same sentiment.
I respectfully submit that the administrators seriously consider either terminating the user points altogether or at least remove the trolling and insightful choices in order to preclude some hot head or hyper appraiser from wreaking imbalance to otherwise rational blog sites.
Furthermore, I've noticed that the comments, which are supposed to serve as an interface of serious ideas, are more often than not pit bull reactions that serve no purpose to the sites original aim; yet at the same time JU unduly rewards the commentators with undeserved points the more they go at each other. A case in point is that some of the top ten bloggers have written fewer articles than those further down the scale, precisely because they rack up points at an incredible rate owing to their mad dash to comment on everything and anything. Jamie Burnside, for instance has written 232 articles and yet he's ranked 18th!