It’s always been encouraging of course.
I am saying that now maybe more trophies are given out after practice.
Before maybe it was usually after a winning game or tournament.
Since…
We don’t do high fives because of tznius reasons, at least IRL.
And encouraging words are culturally based and subjective.
For example, “Go _____!”0 Can sound encouraging or maybe like someone is shouting for the person to go away.
“Yay _______.” May be considered too childlike. Although it is a favorite of mine here (which for some that may further strengthen the first sentence in this example).
…Numbers here is a way to express agreement, encouragement, and support.
Inflation is an problem when the value of the points and/or rewards of receiving points drops accordingly.
The intention is for the points, in my humble opinion, to evoke good feelings, not apathy G-d forbid.
So the question likely asks whether more points, at higher ranges, and greater frequencies decreases the value of an occasional “+1” for a poster.
Is there a way to gauge this? A double-blind study to determine the emotional and psychological effects on the poster when he/she receives points and/or reads that others are awarded points?
Does it hurt the psyche of the one who didn’t receive points? Maybe the person +X on a statement against what another poster said. Did that poster feel threatened or ganged up on?
Do some posters sometimes write profound posts and yet never seem to get points, even during inflation, and as a result they feel left out or less worthy?
Plus there is no standardization of what merits a +1, +100, +1000, +Infinity, etc.
—-Do posters feel that the receiving poster merited the worthy amount?
Was the awarder giving points based on post or maybe happened to be in a good mood or less good mood, or maybe just generally gears towards a certain range or point scale, including just one type.