If it helps, I have a negative reputation at the moment as well and couldn't figure out why. My understanding is:
"downvotes", which are called "reduces" on kbin, contribute negatively to your reputation score.
"upvotes", which called "favorites", do not contribute to your reputation score in either direction.
"boosts", which are similar to Twitter's retweet feature, are what contribute positively to your reputation score. When your comment/post/thread is "boosted" by another user, it shows up in the microblog/mastodon feeds of people following that user.
Maybe someone else more familiar with kbin and the fediverse can correct anything I have wrong.
The sleeper hits of Summer Game Fest 2023 (arstechnica.com)
Games about time travel, foam spraying guns, and... space hospitals?
Twitter Runs Ads for Disney, Microsoft, NBA Alongside Neo-Nazi Videos (gizmodo.com)
Ads from household-name brands and nonprofits are appearing beside clips of a film blaming Jews for causing World War II.
How does the reputation system work?
I gots lots of up beans but still in minus... I know I shouldn't care