The forum would be relatively quite, thats true but then, one of the criteria for being paid in a signature campaign requires your post to be of good quality hence, the decision on either a posts is a spam rests in a managers judgement.
Besides, I don't know the statistics of the forum users involved in signature, if their is an data set available maybe on a monthly bases, please reference me or if there isn't any, it won't be a bad idea to have it in place. In essence, I'm trying to bring to the consciousness of the fact that, with the idea of ranking in place and the criterias required to participate in signatures, coupled with the very few number of users required, it's only a handful of users compared to the entire and very few of this handful could be said to spam the forum.

I saw this thread and and the number of responses it have got and was like wow! Has it really been here, then it downed on me that, I'm still new to the gambling discussion board and haven't dwelt here quite much and the games is seasonal.
My pick for the games today is;

Bosnia&Herzegovina - Northern Ireland =
Bulgaria - Hungary = Hungary to win and under 2.5
Norway - Serbia = Norway to win or no both team score
Scotland - Israel = Both team to score and Scotland win or draw
Slovakia - Ireland = Both team score and either team to win

I don't know if it's just because it's my prediction but, I have a good feeling about these games and the odds is going to be pretty much high. I just hope the craziness that is happening in the club leagues doesn't have a reflection in these games. Lol,
Would be watching out for results though.

The issue is not with the merit sources, the few I've known so far has thus been doing their job quite well in ensuring the circulation of merits within the forum.
The issue lies with the fact that, most users (users that aren't functioning as merit source) are finding it difficult in distribution or meriting posts as evident in this post: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5280804.0 by Jet Cash on the issue of a rather stiff criteria for determining a quality post and feels let down by the burning of Smerit due to long time hoarding. This i am in support of, probably burnt Smerits are been recycled and given to merit sources for redistribution (just an assumption) but, if a user feels concerned about Smerits been burnt, maybe the concept on it be better explained or a reserve provided not accessible by them but, to merit sources only. That way, it puts their mind at ease as they are the once to put it there or have it burnt off.
I believe Upgrade00 better answers the query as this explains why I'm yet and have never experienced my smerits being burnt.
Again, some other complaints continue to puzzle the minds of users as seen in 1dt and 2nd quoted portion, any way to better answer or ease the query...?!

Trading by yourself is very idea if you want to succeed in trading. Besides, not all signals start at the very speculates point and as such, the person given the signal is probably more naturally believed to be more experienced than yourself, often an institute and with a large account size at that, capable of holding a position for a long time to wait for the speculates activities in the signal to start playing out.
Supposing, you enter into a trade with such person, you probably would have blown your account judging from the fact that, your account is probably going to be less in comparison to the institute or user given the signal before the days event start playing. Then, you complain of wrong signals mean while, it's you who has not the capacity to hold long positions.
It's always best to know analysis to a great depth yourself and very every signal personally before trading them. That way, your sure of a favourable outcome and knows just the right time to get out of a trade.

Remedial therapy for merit faults, if any!

Statement of the problem

I've come across quite a few posts viewing the merit system to be faulty as users tend to function in a merit cycle thereby awarding themselves which is most unlikely, and some others don't view the merit system as a perfect judge for quality posts.

One truth about the meriting in local board on the 'he or she is my guy' thing is that, there is always going to be a 'he/she is my guy'. So long as, they've met before in the local boards, he or she remains a my guy. The later is, it's either the users get merited in the local board or other boards. It's all the same to me. Again,
This is what brings me to the main purpose of this post. You can reference the above quoted topic here:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5280804.0

Some users in this forum has been given the mandate to function as a merit source based on certain criterias within there capacity I don't yet know but then I'm quite sure they've been doing greatly from my observation like CryptopreneurBrainboss, OgNasty, LoyceV, DdmrDdmr amongst others who take it upon themselves to function in that capacity.
I see the merit system especially with the fact that it works hand in hand with activities as per ranking up for a user hence, the both checks themselves.
But then, having merit being burnt seemed more like a force on some users hands to either lay low the criterias for their judgement on what they assume to be a quality post and just go ahead to merit any post in a bid not to board it and it just burns off.
I do not know the duration it takes for merits to be burnt but, I'll like to suggest that, as much as the burning of smerits should continue which and I'm clearly in support. But then, more can still be done to remedy the many complaints.

Suggestion
Those with Smerit but finds it rather difficult to be decisive on the quality of a post and are concerned about not having the Smerit burnt, should have a way of either sending it to users designated as merit source. Not necessarily meriting them, but rather transferring the Smerits as Smerit over to them or there could be an Smerit bank to function as a reserve from which, merit source user can access or would be shared out to merit sources following certain criterias.

What do you think about this, in light of the recent attacks on the merit systems and possibly give your suggestions too. Let's discuss.

I'm not quite sure the burning of unused merits is a fault in itself @Jet Cash. I guess it was made that way in other that, to prevent hoarding and encourage rewarding of quality posts without hesitation once one finds one and to prevents users from being picky in terms of awarding merits, making it circulate just fine. Perhaps, merit give away saves you a few of the stress of searching, no doubt all could be trash though.
I don't know the duration for which, smerits might be held to consider it long enough to be burnt but then, from personal experience, I've held smerits for at list 3weeks and still, it wasn't burnt off. Perhaps I sent one or two within those weeks I can't really recall but, I believe the time frame before smerits are been burnt is quite enough for a user who navigates through at least every board in the forum, touching one or two of it's sub-boards and reading the comments and articles posted is most likely to see a good one, worthy of awarding. You most'nt necessarily give all you've got away, by giving a little, you save the others to give some other user when a quality post comes up.

My people, I hail una o.
I wan thank una for the plenty support una don dey give me since I identify myself with una for here and even before then cef, some of una been don already dey do am for me. Na watin make I con say, as I dey celebrate am for the forum, I gat come invite 💌 una to celebrate with me.
Las-las, I don rank up as FULL MEMBER for the forum and e sweet my body say una hand dey for the process way carry me reach there. I thank una well well!
So, I prepare small thing to carry celebrate am and I go drop am here:
  (Congrats on archivement) Round leaves of gold
I just hope say una fit view am and e sweet una for body.
Make una enjoy.

Your doo-doo brother
       SmartVirus[/i]

Following what happened in the early phase of the pandemic, a drop in price anticipation is in due course but then, this time, there is a difference. Noting from the part that, much haven't been discovered about the Covid19 and a lot of measures were yet to be adopted to tackle the pandemic resulted in the catastrophic drop as people who owned cryptos seemed to make a lot of withdrawal.
But this is not the case as before, with a lot on ground, things are surely going to move smoothly. People will continue to be out for work maybe following a particular scheme so, activities is sure to go on almost normal. Even if, Bitcoin and other Altcoins were to drop in value, it's going to be very slightly and then upon stability, your sure to expect a quick boost.

This is a short congratulatory poem to myself and your on how far we've gone.

                                       Another gold leave added

Tired of the bud I sprout
That I might be glorified in bitcointalkforum
Pulverized I was wrapped in the coat of growth
Now I shine with 3 petals of gold leaves.

Posts deleted innumerable
Yet their enthusiasm fuels thy flames
For though thy dealt thee tough blows
From thy side shall I rise

Excellent works have thy done on thee
Like new wine on parched throats
Anchored on friendly shores I ponder
For the ranking battle is yet won

Rest my nerves shall not see
Like a mirage my journey continues to extend
Tirelessly speeding rather loudly i pave way
For the journey to Sr. Member craves checkers

Activities and merits runs on a string
Mystical ears, blind inked hands most thy possess
In time it's petal shall add another gold leave
Rooted in loosed sands ever watchful not to sink

For now, I'm a decorated full member.
                                                               Kind regards
                                                                SmartVirus

This is a congratulatory poem to me and the many supports you've all added in building me for we have yet attained another progress. Being proactive in the forum is rather what only a Bitcoin and cryptocurrency enthusiast can do and your supports have always aided me in surfing with the tides and over violent waves and so, I'm most grateful.
Other poems by the author: You Have Your Say, Say it
Hope you enjoy them, thank you.

It's my pleasure to stand before the people of this forum highly represented in the person of zasad! to supersede my interview. To those who have done these, thanks keeping a print on your paths that I(we) might follow.

---

1. When and why did you become interested in cryptocurrencies?
- You know Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies came up as rather a strange thing to me once, coming from a third would country with little advancement, always used to using rather building one of your own. Cryptocurrency was just one of those tech for the cyber experts and big institutions I thought. I first heard of Bitcoin following the advent of MMM in 2017. It started with fiat and later incorporated Bitcoin in it's investment platform but then, I was more interested in what was physical, what I'm used to other than that which is more like a software, can't feel or touch and don't know anything about it's nature. So, having anything to do with it was so out of the picture.

I practically became interested in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency in March 2019 when its mystery was unraveled before my eyes. I had a friend who was deep into it and sincerely, they never allowed me rest with discussions on Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, bitcointalkforum and a lot of other things that went on in the cryptosphere. This things didn't really boost my enthusiasm until I witnessed a withdrawal processed before my eyes with it's equivalent in Fiat cashed out from the ATM machine. This fueled my fire and raised my curiosity to research on the field and I found out how it kept on increasing, what it stood for and how much global recognition it had archived plus, it's still a growing field. It was until the middle of last year that I finally opened an account on bitcointalkforum.

2. When and why did you buy your first bitcoin?
- I bought my first Bitcoin even before I joined bitcointalkforum, that was around June last year. With the knowledge that Bitcoin keeps increasing in value with time, I was enthusiast on how much I can make by investing approximately $50. It didn't meet my expectations but then, I didn't loose either. Probably, I was anxious on withdrawal and wasn't patient enough as the case may seem.

3. How did you get on the forum?  
- This was easy. I was practically introduced to the forum by a rather active user. I don't know if it's appropriate to mention the user so I won't, but then, they really didn't let me be. I knew or should I say was familiar with the names of quite a few users even before I got here from my friends many discussions on issues of the forum. Regular users been referenced where users like Theymos and LoyceV! But yeah, I got here in December and I'm still here.

4.1 What prevents mass adoption of cryptocurrencies?  
- well, on this one, I'll say it's adoption is chiefly hindered by ignorance. When I say ignorance, it doesn't lie just in the fact that it's (Bitcoin) has not been heard of, but also, with the fact that the masses who are aware of it doesn't know how it works or operates. It remains a term in the mouth and a field they rather not research about as it's meant for only the technological literates or experts as it seemed at a time in my case.
Again, in this era of increased cyber theft, using cryptos as a way to elude security makes it rather a daring field for ignorant people.

4.2 How do you think mass advertising of gambling projects has a positive effect on the development of the forum or harms the community?
- Gambling in itself had been a rather outrageous thing and was frowned at by people of good morals due to the fact that, it not only robbed gamblers of their earnings but then, came with violence in most cases but then, since the incorporation and licensing of gambling into the cyber field where every stake on games and it's rule were clearly understood, these menace associated with gambling was remedied. Gambling in the forum has done a lot in helping the forum make the wait go round. As bettors either win or lose on stakes, benefits from ads, organizing campaigns, generating traffic and more. It kind of unifies the forum as gamblers instead of spending a lot of time elsewhere, uses the forum as a doorway to reach other crypto supported platforms of interest on the forum.

4.3 How do you consider whether 2-3 years of experience in cryptocurrency is enough to successfully invest or does an investor need to receive special education?
- 2-3 years of experience in cryptocurrency is quite a lot and should do in every aspect of cryptocurrency especially for a diligent user who takes due diligence in decoding informations hidden in between lines.
Also, a rather tricky aspect is when it comes to being a developer in cryptocurrency as it encompasses writing codes to get desired results. In this case yes, some form of education might be required.

5.  What do you think of the current Merit system and signature campaigns?  Do they harm the forum?
- Nooooooooo! I'm very positive on this one. Thi has been the bases for every good and well composed research posts in this forum as far as I know it. I think a lot of things can and would go wrong in the forum, more still, moderators would have rather their shoulders burdened with a lot of moderating to do.
To think of it, the merit system works hand in hand in purifying the forum as it takes both to advance to the next stage in the growth series.
The signature campaign on the other hand, I can't really tell if it helps or not as, at times, users just have the need to post in order to meet up the required posts for payment and creating posts isn't often needs you to be in the right frame of mind for it. Hence, depending with your frame of mind, you either come up with a quality post or a low quality post.

6. The most useful forum topic? Most helpful users?
- Newbies - Read before posting by Lauda
LoyceV's Beginners guide to correct use of the Trust system by LoyceV
Ninjastic.space - BitcoinTalk Post/Address archive + API by TryNinja
Bitcointalk Ranking-up pipeline- Those close to their next rank (lacking Merits) by DdmrDdmr
Everything you wanted to know about BTC options but were afraid to ask! by fillippone
{Facts} Benefits of promoting (joining) a quality paid signature campaign. by CryptopreneurBrainboss
List of (un)known methods scammers user to scam users with honorable mention by Royse777

7. 3 things you would implement on the forum?
- As far as I can tell, the forum is just okay the way it is. I don't seem to have noted any major fault yet in the forum but then, would surely make effort to better any situation that seems to arise when it arises.

8. Do you trade on exchanges or invest in projects?
- Investing in projects have really not been my thing, it's more like a fresh water I'm yet to taste but trading, trading is very much a crypto I'm enthusiastic about. I do just a little bit of trading on binance exchange but then, I'm still practicing my know how in the field.

9. Tell a story about your big profit or big loss?
- My big loss in a trade came up with me not setting a stop loss for that particular trade. I'm not going to mention the amount as it was huge to me but might be a mare change to many others but then, on this particular trade, I ran out of data. I was a little bit relaxed as my speculations from the various analysis I had done assured me of a change of trend and that the market was going to buy. Perhaps, it would sell for a little while but then, was sure to change in no time so, I became relaxed. I always do my trading on a higher time frame and observe on a lower time frame. This particular trade was set for 4Hours. After 2hours of being offline, I finally bought data and went back online. To my amazement, the market continued selling and I lost a rather unbelievable amount to me.

10. What do you think about the DEFI ecosystem?
- I haven't done much research on this yet though I've come across it a lot of times but then, I hope it comes forth as a success. Still watching.

11. Is your anonymity a vital necessity or precaution?
-  It's one of the most important of the many privileges we all enjoy in this forum and I consider it a necessity that should continue to be protected.

12. The last cryptocurrency book you read?
- I've not really read any book on cryptocurrency per say, I do more of reading cryptocurrency news on cointelegraph and watch trading tutorials on youtube and discuss it with friends.

13. Advise 3 cryptocurrencies/tokens for investment in the next 1-2 years?
- Bitcoin (BTC) as it is to cryptocurrency what gold is to Fiats.
  Ethereum (Eth) Being the fastest growing in line with BTC.
  Litcoin (LTC) as it seems to have been doing well lately.

14. How much will Bitcoin cost at the end of 2020?
- My speculations puts it at $15,000.

15. P.S.
- In all you do, live a mark and make it count.

---

Thank you for having me, I'm most grateful to you all.

My only wonder is,
What desperate position can a forum user possibly be to beg for merit?
Let's call a spade a spade and vice versa for shovels.
The law is the law and should be ahead to else, all will be in chaos. Due diligence and putting in the work is sure to give you that which you desire. It's wrong to beg for merit as it abuses the merit system. That been that, if merits were to be dished out because a supposed desperate user PM you, then we are sure to have a lot of desperate users on the forum and again, if merits were to be sold, you can imagine what merchandise it would have been here in the forum and how much chances the financially disabled would have got at earning even one! I guess zero!
It's for the best that it is to be given rather freely based on personal judgement on post quality, creativity and which ever criteria a merit source uses than for it to be through pm oftom a supposed desperate user or being sold.
We can't abuse the merit system to fuel our fire. It's wrong to beg for merit!

Maybe it is as you've said, just maybe a hobby gone viral or the owner of the site intends to showcase creativity with a mindset of posting it here but then, it could go wrong as the motives remains unknown.
Perhaps that which is not available now might be added later to serve various purposes. Besides, most newbies just might not know and some curious Bitcoin or cryptocurrency enthusiast might access it mistaking it for the original and the later result would be relayed here but by then, the damage would have been done already and with the nature of the crypto space, undoing what have been done or follow up is always rather too difficult or impossible. So, I still don't see the need for a duplicate with links. If anyone do, please be so kind and let us know perhaps, the site owner.

It's certainly their biggest lost and I'm sure this is as a result of under estimation of the Aston Villa team by Liverpool players even with the fact that the Aston Villa team were playing from home. Liverpool has the mindset of they are just too good for any EPL team and as such needed a reminder which has been dished out in a rather high dose but then, I don't see Liverpool losing any other three point to any team, at least not anytime soon. One more goal and the teams goal difference could have fun into a minus after playing four matches.
Though, the league is more challenging now than ever as the mid tier teams don't just play no more for a position on the league table but has an eye on the title. It's rather too early to judge much on the table as it's sure to reset before they start rematching themselves.

I'm not surprised of any record when it comes to this guy #Christiano Ronaldo a.k.a CR7, he always has a way to archeivements, breaking and setting records.

I doubt any player would really care about fame during this era of pandemic, having no fans on the pitch even if you know they are behind the screen lives the players in a better position to focus on the games and give it their best.
The issue of money is what I can't tell but then, they've got their managers to put that in check. One thing about the fall of young stars is, running of to big teams just because they made a bid for them and then, they get signed and are often on the bench having very little playing time which gradually but surely demoralizes the player, makes them feel like a second half or extra time player and the next you know, their career takes a back seat.

Exactly! It seemed like you just borrowed the idea from my mind. For some very good reasons, it seems that Alex Ferguson was Man United and there is no Man United without him. This is the case as, Man United now don't seem to have a vision. They are just playing with a mind set of qualifying and compit in the Europa which shouldn't be, they've had pretty much a lot of bad games from the previous season and has carried it into the new season despite the money spent on players.
Hopefully, the arrival of Edenson Cavani from PSG to join the team on Monday would up the game for them but still, I still don't see their vision changing and focusing on being a better title contenders against Liverpool and Manchester City.
Sadly his to isolate for 14 days and won't be training with his new team mates hence, his bound to miss at least 3-4 games or more at the moment.

Mario Gotze, the 28 years old German international and formal Dortmund striker who became relived of his deal with Dortmund and enlisted in the market on a free transfer has been one of the most important player on the list with rumors on tons of offers from teams like AS Monaco, Arsenal, Inter Milan and Galatasaray amongst others have finally exist the Dortmund team to join PSV Eindhoven on a free transfer after signing a two years contract deal with the Netherland club.
Mario Gotze who seem to have been having a challenging time with Dortmund made 21 appearances, scoring only three goals which doesn't seem much like a good record to me for a striker of his caliber is in for another trying times as the Netherland team isn't in a very easy one to play in though, the PSV Eindhoven team seen to be doing very well.
Let's hope he adds positively to the team and make the games more entertaining and we hope to feature them in our bets.

Not all newbies are really newbies, some are actually old users or ban accounts of previous users while others could actually be a new user as the case may be. But then, not all newbies are spammers or plagiarisers as some newbies have learned to do their homework in skimming and scanning through the various boards in the forum to better acquint themselves with the way the forum is moderated and how to navigate through the boards without breaking any rule.
Again, locking most sections or boards as a form of newbie restriction would discouraged and scare them of making contributions in boards or topics consisting of active forum users. This in turn discourages originality and drives them to the bounty section which is most likely the last resort for scared posters. The restriction is useful though, especially in a signature campaign and also threads intended for particular rank participation in seeking for information only experience can offer.

This is exactly the concern I was going to raise. Having the official bitcointalkforum twitter page isn't a bad idea as it create room for more publicity based on retweets from members but then, this is very much the same as a forum user with a twitter account, tweeting about bitcoins and Altcoins as well though, the question of doubt will continue to arise with as to it's authenticity.
Clearly the influx of members to the forum is sure as rise and with it, the issue of spamming, plagiarism and spreading of wrong information would be more frequent, burdening the shoulders of forum moderators with the need to keep the serenity of the forum as it were but then, the growth of the community would be archived for sure.

I agree with you on the fact that, merit isn't an accurate indicator but then, it reflects the judgement of the people, their perception and how they see your post to be credible to the context of the forum.

I wonder what the basis could have been in a moderated secured system where your barely familiar with any user but still hopes to do business with them. There's got to be some form of ratings in place to distinguish put some users up front of others based on their contributions and activities on the forum though, using the trust system is still rightly based on users discretion. It only gives you an idea on how to navigate.

I won't say the forum isn't strongly moderated as it uses to be besides, the newbies now seem to have done a little bit of research to have persisted else, I see a couple of ban appeals still on this same board and have seen a user complain to have been banned due to report by a moderator but then, this is a claim that could be looked into and banning whistle blowers without evidence, I don't think anyone could be banned without an evidence of some sort.

I agree with you on this point but then, this is basically based on the users judgement and the level of response from the masses can't be totally wrong. Not having a single user as the judge of a post but the forum itself is a concrete idea to better authenticate a post.

Your quite an experienced user and poster to be a Jr. Member, I give you that.

For a fact at OP, there is a lot that continues to evade us with regards to the privacy policy of certain applications and platforms which takes rather a long time of usage, testimonies from victims, insiders and code developers to aid in the discovery of the various conspiracies associated with privacy policies. Especially with the fact that, these platforms aren't built by ourselves and even at that, it's still going to be routed to some server giving it a doorway to access certain data's on the platform.
The truth of the matter remains that, the less you use, the less vulnerable you become and vice versa. So, it's more important to stick to what your used to and that which have been discovered to be relatively safe.