I just signed up, using my Google account, and I can't vote up OR even comment on this site, because my reputation is too low.

Amidst a dozen responses to someone's problem, another poster posted the ideal solution, and yet it only has a single up vote. I would like to up vote it, and expand on it with a comment that provides more information about the functionality of the solution. But I cannot up-vote OR comment (need 50 rep).

In any event I have no idea how to gain reputation other than asking a question, and I have no questions to ask. Well unless my question is how do you gain reputation without posting a question.

Oh well, for now the community will have to remain in the dark about the best solution to a problem someone has. I was about to just say ****-it, you're making this way too much trouble to provide feedback on solutions. How many have already done that I wonder.

Here's an idea. START with these capabilities: commenting, no ability to down vote, and 1 up vote per day, and if enough people down vote your comments you lose even those privileges. This is the first time in my many years of internet use I've ever run into a problem like this, and this seems like it would be the least likely place for drive-by trolls. What gives, why so immediately restrictive? <--- second question.