Great claims,

But look how much people are mining with FPGA:
Phi1612 (Luxcoin, Folm): 5.2GH/s (650MH/s per card x eight) ($456/day at Apr-30 prices)
see here, how:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=3459858.0

what going to do about it.

Yes, this post was made before merit system, but I dont think this is malicious. Considering this post was the 2nd post on the thread, possibly merit giver stumbled upon this old thread and kind of this 2nd comment aligned with his views, so he might have decided to give merit.

I suspect more if any older posts buried in inner pages of a thread, not in starting and not in the end, but this post was on the first page itself.

Example 3: Suspicious merit action by Legendary member with good trust rating

Legendary Member: IMZ
Merit is given to: azbu - Account from 2014 with only 42 activity, parked account.

Merit given to this post, Post is from 2014, does not seem to deserve any merit. 10 merits were given.

looks like this TRUSTED Legendary member is also legendary in maintaining number of parked accounts and shamelessly giving merits to very old posts of those parked accounts:
See Here: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=merit;u=330540

just wanted to understand what action is taken in such cases?

Should I keep going on to prove how bad actors using smerits? Or examples given so far for this point are sufficient?

One bad actor you already flagged: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=308444

I am not a stat guy, and dont know how to pull data, so i am manually finding things to share here.

Yes Ann is garbage but EggDraSyl, never posted garbage he post what he work on.
I will find more example of good actors.

Example 2: Suspicious merit action by Hero member

Hero member: sundownz
Merit is given to: photoguy

Photoguy is a 2014 account with only 33 posts, Parked Account.

Merit is given to this post, which is one line post from 2014 when merit system was not there.

Now, what action and analysis is being done to identify and punish such behavior?

I am not referring to whole Meta section. People purposefully active on only merit threads for the most part and working around merits, running threads only for merits.

As if they dont know anything about rest of the crypto space.

Now coming to good actor part:

Consider example of user EggdraSyl

Doing good work and running successful things, helping users, but limited to his forum work. But will he get merits like these merit thread runners, no.

Why no? Because he will not write essays and philosophy lectures in merit sections. He is concise in his answers because he is clear in what he is doing and keep his post to the point.

But He is not getting merits, because for merits you need to write a motivating, captivating post. Which he is not doing, so he will not get merits. He will stuck to his lower rank even if he cross his activity.

This is one example, I can give a number of such good actors.

Check the previous example of merit grabber, how he is earning merit is via merit threads. Does he deserve these many merits, for running merit threads and writing philosophies on merit system or making statical data around merit is such an important work in crypto? While people who are really working in crypto are not promoted to next level because of lack on merits. People should focus on real stuff and not worry about how to get merit.
These only active users in merit threads are clearly to gain merits.

Just see one post above, where i have picked example of legendary member giving merit to his parked amount, that too for a post of 2015

You can mine with GPU, not that profitable but yes, considering huge upside it will be beneficial.

One example about how people giving merits to their own parked accounts,  originally posted here, where these so-called merit thread runners ignored which pushed me to start this thread:

======
See how even legendary member handling their parked account:
See this merit record: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=merit;u=368591 , post this link as well bcoz merit record will go after 120 days: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1053293.msg12204754#msg12204754

The guy gave merit is legendary and he gave merit to a 2015 post, straight 10 merit to move up his parked account.

That parked account is also from 2014 only with 50 activities.

Now lets not pretend that merit system works, only good people are suffering.

I only picked one account from above list.

Now what action will be taken against such legendary members?
=========

For starter I recommend looking at this same guy who i knew will definately come, but never expected this early.

Look at threads, posts and where we interact most: @DdmrDdmr
Only Merit sections. Talks about only merits. Gives merits on merit threads and gets merits from merit threads

I will post more proof about other problems, but this guy is the perfect example of only writing about merits for most part, if you look whom he gave merits, you will see some other people also who do similar activities.

Look at his August Merits recieved, same you will see in previous months also, maximum from merit threads, he made himself merit guru to get merits:
Received in the last 120 days
August 13, 2018, 11:05:31 PM: 1 from vphasitha01 for Re: [RUPL] Ranking-Up Pipe Line of Forum Members
August 13, 2018, 03:02:45 PM: 1 from iasenko for Re: [RUPL] Ranking-Up Pipe Line of Forum Members
August 13, 2018, 03:00:33 PM: 10 from TMAN for Re: [RUPL] Ranking-Up Pipe Line of Forum Members
August 12, 2018, 10:23:33 AM: 1 from vphasitha01 for Re: Merit & new rank requirements
August 12, 2018, 09:48:24 AM: 1 from Handsome Boy for Bitcointalk Merit Dashboard
August 12, 2018, 09:39:55 AM: 1 from TheQuin for Re: Merit & new rank requirements
August 11, 2018, 08:57:36 PM: 1 from JayJuanGee for Re: Merit & new rank requirements
August 11, 2018, 05:54:12 PM: 1 from iasenko for Re: Merit & new rank requirements
August 10, 2018, 11:54:15 AM: 1 from Virtual miner for Bitcointalk Merit Dashboard
August 09, 2018, 11:26:16 AM: 1 from mjglqw for Re: Activity Low
August 09, 2018, 10:48:53 AM: 1 from finaleshot2016 for Analysis – Posts per month average for Merited members
August 09, 2018, 10:10:42 AM: 1 from Piggy for Analysis – Posts per month average for Merited members
August 09, 2018, 09:06:56 AM: 1 from Coolcryptovator for Analysis – Posts per month average for Merited members
August 09, 2018, 08:34:55 AM: 2 from theyoungmillionaire for Analysis – Posts per month average for Merited members
August 09, 2018, 08:25:07 AM: 2 from vphasitha01 for Analysis – Posts per month average for Merited members
August 09, 2018, 08:15:22 AM: 6 from Foxpup for Analysis – Posts per month average for Merited members
August 09, 2018, 07:48:50 AM: 2 from LoyceV for Analysis – Posts per month average for Merited members
August 07, 2018, 11:08:12 PM: 1 from xtraelv for Re: Corruption and prejudgment of the moderator Xandry
August 07, 2018, 04:50:54 PM: 1 from vit05 for Re: Historical Real-time sMerit Records now available!
August 07, 2018, 02:17:37 PM: 1 from vphasitha01 for sMerit Senders & Receivers – Weight of top 100 and 200 weekly contributors
August 07, 2018, 12:25:09 PM: 1 from Piggy for sMerit Senders & Receivers – Weight of top 100 and 200 weekly contributors
August 07, 2018, 11:10:36 AM: 2 from izanagi narukami for sMerit Senders & Receivers – Weight of top 100 and 200 weekly contributors
August 07, 2018, 11:00:59 AM: 5 from Jet Cash for sMerit Senders & Receivers – Weight of top 100 and 200 weekly contributors
August 07, 2018, 10:58:50 AM: 1 from coinlocket$ for sMerit Senders & Receivers – Weight of top 100 and 200 weekly contributors
August 07, 2018, 10:54:19 AM: 2 from LoyceV for sMerit Senders & Receivers – Weight of top 100 and 200 weekly contributors
August 07, 2018, 10:38:28 AM: 6 from Foxpup for sMerit Senders & Receivers – Weight of top 100 and 200 weekly contributors
August 07, 2018, 09:23:35 AM: 1 from LeGaulois for sMerit Senders & Receivers – Weight of top 100 and 200 weekly contributors
August 07, 2018, 01:08:22 AM: 2 from LoyceV for Bitcointalk Merit Dashboard
August 03, 2018, 06:59:26 PM: 2 from Vod for Re: Limit to new accounts every month

Hi All,

I have been watching this merit system closely ever since it launched.

It was launched just a few weeks before I could have been Sn Member, but still I supported it in overall effort to curb spammers and scammers. Here I have supported it. Here I tried to educate people for use power of smerit.

It might have achieved in abuse of membership and might have reduced spammers.

But it also created strong hindrance to growth of good actors in the forum.

First, very less members are educated about what this merit system is and how to effectively use it.

I have seen many thought giving merit will reduce their merit. However that's not the case.

Lack of proper education became counter productive because of that more then 50% of merits dropped is never used till date.

You can see even large number of high ranking users never used their smerits effectively.

On the other side, large accounts which got good amount of smerit, used merits to give to their own parked accounts. I have proofs but i recommend an internal analysis to take collective action.

Also, some smart people evolved methods to earn merits, by using below means:

1. Write more about merits and create merit thread to attract people who are interested in this topic, as they are more keen on giving and getting merits.

2. Create stats around merit and only talk about those to harness same aspect of human psychology highlighted in 1st point.

3. Stick to more active and bigger threads, and only post in that thread to make friends along and keep passing merits to each other.

I would like to call for action against merit abusers.
I would also like to have rethink this whole merit concept and evolve it so that it can become balanced.
Also, smerit airdrop should again happen, eligibility and conditions can be discussed, like burning previous smerit left since months, or dropping more proportion to people who used smerits.
Also, i recommend to identify user who only specifically write about merit topic to get more merits and if found wrong, take actions against them as well.

Always remember, spammers evolve and change their ways to breach whatever rule you make. So evolving system against them is require thing.

By this time many of you have seen and observed how smartly they are playing, i would invite your thoughts and findings in this.

I am ready to post materially to back what i have seen, as and when needed.

Lets have a constructive discussion about making system balance and robust.

Locking this thread, as I feel message is conveyed and already we have many threads which have similar discussions

i can see how smartly my comments were ignored here, when you dont have counter, ignore.
Because truth is little bitter who wants to take steps to improve system, everyone is busy getting merits afterall, thats why i hate this merit system bcoz people planning actions which can give them merits.

This include write more about merit itself, making new thread, doing analysis about merit, interact on meta threads.

why masternode count is different here https://masternodes.online/currencies/MANO/

above link show 251 masternodes with daily reward of 16 MANO, however MANO's official ROI tool show 500 masternode with daily reward at 7 MANO,

which one to trust?

See how even legendary member handling their parked account:
See this merit record: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=merit;u=368591 , post this link as well bcoz merit record will go after 120 days: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1053293.msg12204754#msg12204754

The guy gave merit is legendary and he gave merit to a 2015 post, straight 10 merit to move up his parked account.

That parked account is also from 2014 only with 50 activities.

Now lets not pretend that merit system works, only good people are suffering.

I only picked one account from above list.

Now what action will be taken against such legendary members?

The account which gave micgossens merits have behaviour of giving repeated merits to same people again and again: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=379487
check his merit giving pattern.

As I was telling this merit system is a joke, i just review one person from above list micgossens, look how he got merit, can someone make me understand on what basisthis post deserved merit: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=178336.msg43578603#msg43578603
I did not feel to spend time to review whole merit is is getting everyday just from one thread and he also gives merit on same thread ONLY.

No one active here to answer if team is still active or project is not having sufficient team?

if you mine on testnet, will you get some reward when mainnet is launched or its not of any worth to mine on testnet?

Any date finalized for mainnet

Thats why  i feel user education was a key part in rolling out this merit system. Many dont understand this and even not aware of what smerit is.
I personally educated few people about smerit concept and how they can use it. Most are afraid that if they give merit to others it will decrease their own merit, which is not true but they dont know what smerit is.

This data itself shows that power given to people is not in use, why to not revisit this and do something about it.

I supported this even it was launched just week before i could have become sn member, bcoz i felt its necessary to put something to stop spammers. But now we have enough data points to see that good actors in system are negatively impacted for long, however spammer will find some other way.

I propose that a constructive discussion should start to balance out good formula to get good actors motivated to be part of system.

When such system becomes inefficient in balancing the right mix, its time to reevaluate and re-calibrate.

why you promote a member who have negative trust: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=1001712