It's sort of a popularity system. If you like a topic/user, you can give it/them a kudos. Ideally this helps find the best topics at a quick glance or something.

I generally don't bother with it myself so don't fret over it too much.

Kudos is bascaiily another form of currency similar to cookies. I hear the exchange rate is quite close to 1:1, so you're not missing out on anymore than if we were to give you cookies instead.

oh right, right.
I don't think I'll bother with it much, either then

i don't get how you either get or give them

sexual favors, wes

excellent

*sticks a cookie in cin's ear* ..^^

*eats it*

WTF is going on in your avatar

WTF is going on in YOUR avatar

bandwagon++

what? no bandwagon? sorry ^_^

Hiro, you uneducated fool, this is the fire-up power up from Bomberman. I simply stretched it out to avatar size. Nothing is actually happening in the avatar at all.

How do we know nothing is going on off panel? That fire powerup looks awful happy about something...

It's waiting for the pick up that will never come. Red Bomberman took out Blue Bomberman months ago and has since moved on to another stage. But Fire-up continues to wait for the one who will pick it up and give it a purpose...

... I waited for you, Blue...

XD

Kio's avatar is an angsty-emo type?

It's too naive to angst.