Speaking out of turn here and I hope @
Klatue doesn't mind because sometimes certain things just need to be said because they aren't obvious to everyone.
There is a 'thumbs up - Like button' at the bottom of every post in every thread at this Kodi forum and most other peer to peer sites. It takes one simple click to acknowledge a post users find likeable. In turn, that little show of gratitude is added to the reputation of the person that posted. That reputation count is always visible to all users. It's a quick gauge that shows how many readers have liked what that poster has offered over time.
That said, it's not only about a users reputation. It goes way beyond that. Having been, and still am, in a similar situation, when I view my rep points, I'm able to get an idea how many folks my contributions reach. How do I know? I look at how people 'Liked' my post. Is it accurate? Not at all. Why? Some folks like to just feel entitled and take without leaving a small token that's nothing more than a click on a post. So, for every hundred takers, there might only be 1 user that took the time to be bothered enough to say 'Thanks' with one simple click. As far as I know, only 1 person liked my contribution. Is that going to encourage me to keep sharing or discourage me? You figure it out.
I'm in a similar situation at another forum. I author DIY at home WindTracks for movies. Like animated movie and TV show posters, it takes hours, sometimes days or weeks to create. Once finished, they are shared openly in forums at specific threads like this one. Why? Because some people are givers and others are takers. Givers don't mind sharing for free. They take pride in what they do and want others to enjoy them as well. The same goes for advice, tips, help, etc. They get pleasure out of helping others. Even complete strangers. It builds confidence and sharpens skills knowing the contributions are not just for themselves. Think of ALL the Kodi team members that day in and day out faithfully help others and maintain Kodi. They don't get paid. It's a thankless job but somehow they keep showing up to work - many daily.
So, having no idea how many users actually use the creations or benefited from a post somehow, the creator has no idea if he/she is on the right track... or the wrong track. Feedback is seldom to none which doesn't help the creator know how to adjust what they do either. So, how does one 'fix' this dilemma? You stop sharing. You advertise what you have to offer but hold the offering hostage. The ransom is a click. Now the poster knows who paid the ransom and the hostage is released to that user who clicked 'Like' and only that person. It might take a minute or days but eventually the creator will release the hostage. Fwiw, it's much easier to simply share openly instead of replying to each and every user that paid the ransom, so understand the extra detriment the creator endures to keep sharing FOR FREE. All the creator gets in return is a more accurate gauge regarding what he/she shares which makes us wonder how long will that last. You can thank the takers for this whole situation. The world's filled with em'.
Another thing to consider: All these gigabytes of animated posters that were linked to this forum have to be hosted somewhere. That costs money. Every month to continue to be hosted. Every time things are created, the gigabytes grow. So does the fee to host. So does the effort and time to add them to the host as well as the thread links etc., etc. When you only see a couple people liking what your time, money, efforts, not to mention the creation(s) get you... how would you feel? As it stands now, it appears the paid host is no longer worth it. @
Klatue has opted for free hosting now it appears. When something is free, there's some hoops to jump through and some limitations. One of them is that it's only going to be available for 30 days I guess. If you like animated posters for free... well not free... you have to click the 'Like' button... I know... it's a nightmare... you might want to visit this thread at least once a month.
Lastly, when you share openly, punks love to steal your hard earned work and put their own name on it. They figure if you left it out there in the wild, you don't care about it enough to protect it so anything goes. So, while a creator is hungry for feedback, be it rep points or whatever, he/she is relying on THEIR OWN posts - not someone who gathered up all the files and offered them under their own name in one post. Why would anyone ever visit the creators individual posts and give them the due credit, acknowledgment, feedback, etc.? Wouldn't that leave a bad taste in your mouth?
USE THE THUMBS UP BUTTON FOLKS. It's there for many other reasons not even touched upon today.