this is my impression of SO too. If you want to gain reputation the most viable approach is to keep hitting F5 and answer simple questions before someone else and therefore it has become a race instead of a display of knowledge if it's reputation that you are hunting for.
I believe it wasn't as hectic about one and a half year ago when I joined.
I don't care about reputation, just that askers get a much larger portion of my knowledge when they demonstrate that they engage in their community rather than just take, take, take.
