Bitcoin Forum

Hi Guys,
I know some people will be like why did he ask this question when he's just a Junior member but I'm just a curious guy who like to learn more and love to know things which seems strange to him.

I was going through the Meta section of the forum and I saw this post '2020 Merit Source Application' by TheBeardedBaby but seems not to understand it and I will be happy if the experience users of this forum could explain.

Who are merit source?
What does it take to be merit source?

Thanks.

Merit sources are the main inflator of merits. They distribute freshly minted merits.

You can check the stickies of the meta section if you'd like to know what merits are for but they essentially help you rank up and reduce posting and signature limits..

Applications to be a merit source are generally a user finding 10 posts they feel are worthy of merit and using those to confirm. They're good at selecting high quality posts.

Some members are given smerits every month or so, the members are called merit sources. The smerits are then distributed by the merit sources only to quality posts that are worthy of the smerits.

Be an established member, then you can apply.

To understand more, check this link started by Theymos
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2818350.0

The admin of the forum (theymos) did not disclose the names of the members of the merit source but you can diatinguish them with their meriting attitude. You can also check in their merit stats to see the great list of members they merited that alone we can say that probably that member is a merit souce.
The thread that you have seen in the meta section is how you will apply to become a merit source. The admin of the forum will decide for that and he controls the number of merits to be distributed per month I guess. There is a format to submit in the application to become merit source just check the thread you have just read.
Welcome

Since I was mentioned here I'll just say that you already have enough material to read about it. Everyone can try its luck but it takes hell of a time to get elected if you get elected at all. Never give up, tho :)

Here's a quote from the Merit thread of theymos for you to have a knowledge how to be a merit source. Few points, merit source isn't base on ranks of you can spot post/s that are meritable and you apply for it you may even given a chance by theymos.

You can find more information about them or who they are in the links below:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=merit;stats=topsend
There are currently 97 (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=merit;stats=sources) merit sources but in this list above it's still few and theymos said it shouldn't be made publicly for them not to be harassed by users asking for merits.

Another link:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5197548.0

Every user can earn merits and hence get smerits to spend around the forum on good posts (subjective though), but Merit sources are users who receive source merits from the forum (in addition to their smerits), and this source merits gets replenished every month, so thing is while 'normal' users only get smerits when they earn merits, Merit sources are refilled per month with source merits (whether or not they earn merits to get smerits) to give to quality posts and help users rank up.

How to become a MS has been posted in a link above, the requirements looks pretty simple doesn't it, but theymos takes his time before picking a MS, see this thread: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5197548.0, that's a list of users waiting to be selected by theymos to become MS's, and most of them are reputable members, that pretty much gives users with little or no reputation little or NO chance at all.

Go to Google, search for Bitcointalk Merit source, and you will find many people who explain its meaning.
Merit score has been a hot topic for a long time so Merit sources is an easy-to-know reformer.
Generally they are not the only ones who have merit points so focus all your efforts on sharing high quality topics and you will get merit points regardless of who submits them.

When people send you sMerits, your Merit counter builds-up, getting an additional amount of sMerits to award to others, equal to half of the Merits your counter has increased. In other words, for every two Merits your counter increases, you get 1 sMerit to send.
The above means that the sMerits are limited and the overall amount is reduced with each meriting transaction (i.e 4 sMerits -> generates up to 2 sMerits -> generates up to 1 sMerit).

But … Merit Sources are there to the rescue, pumping new Merits into the system. Merit Source’s have a Merit Source sMerit counter (in additional to their personal sMerit Counter). They typically receive each month a certain amount of sMerits out of the blue (i.e. not originated by receiving a sMerit TC themselves), being the monthly allowance variable per Merit Source. The allowance can vary between something like just over a dozen for the very small ones, to hundreds, and a few are around 1K/month. The allowance is adjusted every one in a while, and a Merit Source may see an increase or decrease in the allowance, depending on historical distribution data.

The amount per source is not publicly known, but the total adds up to 21.171 sMerits for the current 97 Merit Sources (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=merit;stats=sources). The Merit Sources are not publicly disclosed, but it’s pretty easy to know which ones are the major ones. There’s also a thread on Meta that has most of them tracked (I won’t disclose the thread here, but anyone searching Meta can find it after a while).

The process for postulating to become a Merit Source is described in the above posts. Additionally, some Merit Sources were hand-picked by @theymos, without them needing to go through the formal process, specially those in the first batch. Merit Sources are added once in a while (they can also be removed), but there is not predetermined timeline.

In the early days when I was a young and enthusiastic source-boy, I wrote this article. -
https://talkmerit.com/the-source/index.php/articles/the-bitcoin-talk-merit-system

It discusses the Bitcoin Talk merits system from the perspective of a merit source. This was a couple of years ago, and it probably needs to be updated to reflect some of the recent changes.

Aside from they're good at selecting high quality posts, may I just add that they are also high quality posters themselves. Whenever I read some of their posts, I'm always in awe with their content and idea. And even the construction of the post is so good.

Anyway, as to OP, there's nothing wrong in asking questions about this even if you're just a Jr. Member. It's better than asking questions that are already answered here a thousand times.

Most of the members give all the things you need to find out the answer, also to clarify about the merit source.

They are the one who is giving merits to the member who deserves it, also right now it's better you know some of these.
Merit sources have different qualifications too.
Merit source has the rights whenever a day wants to give their merit.
Merit holds by the merit sources will replenish.
Don't blame the merit source if sometimes they are not giving they have different tasks doing too.
Moderators somehow are the merit sources too.
Also, you can apply as a merit source (you need to earn a good image and if theymos is the judge to agree to the application)

Not just merit sources, any user on the forum can give merits to users who deserves it, except you're out of smerits, and mind you that even merits sources run out of source/s merits quite a few times. See: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5198889.0
The issue on merits is subjective, so not only MS's can spend their source/smerits as they wish, even non-MS's can also do likewise with their smerits.
AFAIK, not all moderators are merit sources.

Merit source is a forum member choose by admin to issue merit to other members . Admin give allocated smerit (spendable merit ) every month that they can use to give to other members that deserve to have it.

 And here is the requirements to be merit source .

Merit source are just ordinary members of this forum who have a little more merits to share with other members and that's it  :D
As far as I understand so far, the main condition for someone to become a merit source is to have a certain positive reputation on this forum, to be a respected member.
Anyone can apply for merit source in Meta, and theymos will decide.
For a long time no one has been promoted to merit soure but there is always a chance.
Merit sources are free to share merits at their discretion, provided they don't sell them.

Theymos choose from forum members who are applying to become a merit source. They are the one who will send the merits to other forum member to continue the merit sending instead of the admin doing it. To become a merit source, you must have shown it in your application thread that you are worthy to believe come a merit source.