Bitcoin Forum

I've just come across this thread : https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=3260277 , in which a legendary user, klf (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=369702), that claims to have about 200 sMerit to give away is abusing the merit system in my opinion. They have been tagged by DT members for abuses in the past, but I am wondering if there is anything that can be done to shut this down before it does the insignificant amount of potential damage that it may cause? What should be done about those publicly begging for merit and partaking in this abusive scheme?

It seems there are others giving this user negative trust for their actions, but I'm wondering if a fresh DT rating would be helpful and potentially tagging the users involving themselves.

the merit system is almost useless.

Your response is beyond useless.

That is the single most thoughtless sentence I have read all day. Save that nonsense for one of the threads crying about the new system. I'm trying to get acknowledgement and action in movement against a specific instance of abuse within the system we are all operating under. If you want to complain about the system or attempt to change the system with unsubstantiated claims then that is discussion for another thread.

Maybe banning that account would solve the issue since you cannot unmerit a post once you merrited it.
Just imagine those people ( who doesn't know what they are asking)begging for a review would feel when they get red tagged (not knowing the consequence of their action).
One more thing is to let people become aware that getting merit with accounts like that would result to a red tagged

Clearly, this user want to drag other users down along with his account.

I completely agree. I'd expect an explanation after such a statement.

As for the abusive thread, I think that guy is taking the piss out of the merit system, as he is offering random merits without asking for anything in exchange.

Can't moderators give him a ban/warning for such behaviour?

to you need help understanding it?

its garbage because it needs "moral supervision".

There's really nothing to be done but tagging with red trust anyone he sends sMerit to.

As everyone has pointed out in the last weeks, all of these scammers/spammers with sMerit because they were ported over from the legacy system... they'll all abuse merit, and we just have to police that.

After a while the scammer sMerit pool will dry up as there's half and half and half until there's nothing left to send.

Just be vigiliant, tag any unusual activity, and then be on your way. That's all we can really do.

Well i guess what he mean is he will give merits to the random posts which he/she likes. I don't think shitposters gonna get any merit here.
I have progressed gradually from from Jr. Member to Member after some efforts and encouraging threads started by senior members in similar fashion for example.
Joe's Signatureless Challenge (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=3055616.msg33821842#msg33821842)
sMerit for art ! (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2957836.msg32193983#msg32193983)
You do the posting and they check your posts, if they like you get a merit and i guess its fair enough.
^{One thing which is alarming is -8 trust :p}

JUST BECAUSE I WAS MERITED BY KIF. DOESN'T MEAN I BOUGHT A MERIT FROM HIM. HE LITERALLY GAVE ME A RANDOM MERIT. PLEASE DISREGARD THAT.

I am in no way connected to Kif, lol.

That said, I guess now it's harder to track how to figure out these abusive merits. Some are sent just randomly, and others are probably going to be sent to legit posts. It's just a little bit difficult.

Merit system is in the Wild West phase right now.

Is this your thing since this merit system was implemented?
You just go around and police everyone about everything?

I bolded what I think is the important bit. By not asking for anything in exchange it is not abusive. Everyone is free to give merit where they want, it is only a problem if they are trading them or farming alts.

Ther are 2 kinds of merit give away thread the first is the honest one everyone can notice that the event is legit by checking their merit summary after the event, and the other one is the cheater and his/her main purpose is to give a huge amount of merit to his alts take a deep look on this report I created.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=3189979.0

I can say here that dont judge anyone until you have reasonable proofs, because I can see that you are judging that user without a proof.

Abusers will always think a way on how they can cheat on every system, and for me admins and mod's have to be strict to this system because everytime they dont make action to an abuse it will increase the number of the abusers.

It will be unfair for us if they dont get punished.

Merit Giveaways should be close because they are giving a chance the spammers to get rank and I think mostly those who begging merit and receive from other accounts my guess it's their alt accounts.

Why not just keep posting and help others to earn merit naturally without asking and begging for merit. That's why they added the merit system to decrease spammers and to reduce alt account to make another account, but there are still other high-rank members are helping alt accounts to rank up even we don't have any solid proof for me, newcomers who asking and begging for merit are still alt accounts of some members here in forum.
There must be received a red tag just to prevent abusers from rank up or before they use it for scamming.

Do you change the stand?

Did you argue for red trust right?

That's what I'm talking about the day before yesterday or the day before it. (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=3260277.msg33964852#msg33964852)

reference of the subject should I open the locked thread? https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=3243502.0

The problem is that there are no clear rules how merit should be distributed. Like all the other rules here, you have to dig deep to find what you need.
It's not the first time when Legendary members are not aware of the merit system and when they find the merit button on the top right, just start playing with it.
When you end up reading the Merit & new rank requirements you are getting lost because all the info you need is there but spreaded out  on more then 200 pages and the topic is not even pinned.

Don't merit me, just giving my opinion.

Instead of giving merit to random posts on his thread he may donate them to threads dedicated to giving merits to constructive, yet unmerited posts. This way eligible users would get the merit they deserve.

Such threads are :
sMerit Post-Review (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2819141.0)
Joe's Signatureless Challenge (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=3055616.0)
Free Merit for quality post (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=3175633.0)

Logically it is a generous giveaway to the posts he like but it would help the shitposters to fulfill their signature campaign requirements and post more garbage.

The merit system is garbage, because it requires human input, good one, Scorpio. The "Moral Supervision" you speak of, is simply the same as any other guideline/rule, such as "Don't scam/steal". The rules require moral supervision, because they are born out of universal morality. Sort of like a social contract. Still, you haven't explained why moral supervision is necessarily a bad thing that makes the merit system garbage. No clue why you're acting condescending about it, but you haven't backed up your position or explained it sufficiently. Literally everything calls for "moral supervision", what is your point?


Think again. He explicitly talked about randomly giving it away


I report blatant cases of abuse to the Meta board for discussion when I am unsure how to proceed or want to gather a community consensus about a certain issue.
Do I police everyone about everything? No, only a very selective few users that are acting maliciously.


That was one of the reasons why I began this thread. Since users are free to distribute their merit in almost any way they would like, it makes me wonder if this is even something that is actionable or if it is riding an unfortunate line.  


If I were you I would explain myself and not act like an aggressive idiot within the thread you are being accused within. Especially considering you deleted the abusive thread, in an attempt to hide it? I can only guess why.

Interestingly the thread has been deleted by the moderators. I think that is probably due to it falling foul of the forums rule prohibiting incentivised posting.


My highlighting on the difference between that thread and other Merit review threads.

Don't waste your time with this guy :)). Of course a member with negative trust related to Merit is always think that Merit system is useless. Maybe he thought that when he said "Merit system is useless" would make merit system removed and his account would be untagged. LOL. Merit system is something really terrible to him cause he can't help his account reaching to Hero rank anymore.  ::)

That is a very important distinction. That is exactly what I was looking for, even though I've read everything theymos has said about merit and the guidelines/rules surrounding it multiple time, somehow I have missed that as relevant and important in this case. Good eye on that.

Since the thread I reference in OP has been handled by moderators and the user in question hasn't sent any significant amount of merit I'll be locking this thread. If they start another thread, I'll re-open this and reference the new thread with an updated link and a bump to accompany it.