+REP, sounds like a good idea, could get people a little more active.
Food for thought though, have you seen the stars in your profile? They work the same way, but are only ever noticeable in one place, so they are pretty pointless.
i noticed that maybe 5 min after i posted this. its a similar idea, but like you said it means nothing.
im just really against the rep system. i always forget about it, and i dont think its fair to just have a really good option and a really bad option. there sould be some middle ground. the stars could help express quality of posts not just the quantity of good posts.