For a moderation system to work there has to be...

...visibility. No one should be allowed to moderate anonymously. You should be able to clearly see if someone is misusing moderation for the own personal vendettas

...accountability. Moderators should have to earn the right to post and may lose it if they choose not to be impartial.

...impartiality. At least as a goal. That means no moderating and commenting on the same thread. Certainly no moderating your own posts

What the current system amounts to is a popularity contest for threads. It is not an indication of the quality of the thread or the fairness of any poster on it.

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Sammy.
My forum postings reflect my own opinions and not those of my employer. I'm not employed in the photo business.