This is a place in where you must move carefully. If you give your personal data to another member and then it goes wrong, that's your mistake only. Consider how many people move in here: thousands. So it will be impossible for the "authority" to care everyone.
Nevertheless, there are many topics related to how to be safe, either here or in any place on the internet. To never share your personal data with unknown ones is one of the golden rules.

Implica mucho esfuerzo lo que tú haces y tampoco es que tus post narrativos no sean de calidad, la neta lo son y muy enriquecedores igualmente.

En cuanto a lo de los méritos, para mí la mejor solución sería que todos los moderadores fueran Meri Source, pues finalmente se la pasan (supuestamente) leyendo y moderando la calidad de los comentarios. Si hacen eso, problema resuelto, bajo mi criterio.

Buen debate, compañero!! Un abrazo

Well, it is good to see that the Bitcoin forum still has Bitcoin as the main topic.
When I took the first look to your thread I was expecting "Merit" and "Scam" as the most used words, due to the rising of scamming accusations regarding merit, as it is happening at least on the meta board. I'm glad to see "Bitcoin" is still the center of the matter in here, as well as "Ethereum" in the Altcoin Section, instead of "Bounty", "ICO" or "Airdrop".

Nevertheless, the meta activity is still somehow concerning, for maybe the correct principal subject should be "Forum", as it probably used to be.
Once more, thanks for your work, great, as usual.

Lo de la caza de brujas es algo que me ha estado preocupando, precisamente porque muchas de las acusaciones de Merit abuse en la sección meta hacen referencia a secciones locales, de las cuales es difícil hablar por lo que hemos venido comentando.
Por eso me alegra tu apoyo en esa materia en la sección en inglés, ya que no todos los de la española pueden expresarse en ella, y no está de más que demos esa voz a todos.
En cuanto a lo que mencionaste de que cada vez hay menos méritos para aquellos que la neta sí se esfuerzan, es totalmente cierto, y evidente que puede llevar a una decadencia. Si analizamos los últimos post de la sección meta casi todos se refieren a acusaciones, lo cual debería ir en la spam section, y en lugar de ello se la pasan no más acusando a cualquiera con la única meta de conseguir algunos méritos, pues ha venido sucediendo que esos post reciben algo. Ha cambiado mucho en poco tiempo, y creo es que una lacra incipiente.
Ni qué decir de otras secciones, como la Bitcoin Discussion board, donde por más que te esfuerces comentando la mayoría de las respuestas ni siquiera se detienen a leer lo que escribes, sino a generar un par de líneas vacías en contenido pero generadoras de activity, por lo que buenos debates mueren en el olvido.

Yo creo que es labor también de los Signature Campaigners Managers el no pagar a la banda que no se esfuerza. Esa podría ser una mejor medida, incluso mejor que la de los méritos...

Pd: gracias por lo del inglés, la neta me cuesta, pero le estoy entrando a varios cursos y tratando de mejorar.

Saludos.

Ya platicamos en el foro en inglés de la baja injerencia de méritos aquí en el español, donde los denunciantes que tanto vemos en la sección Meta podrían incurrir en el erróneo de acusar a varios usuarios de Merit trading, precisamente porque los méritos se mueven entre pocos (lo que es normal, dado que son pocos los que escriben cosas valiosas por acá).
De todos modos, son pocos los méritos que se están viendo últimamente en general, me temo. Muchos de los que tuvimos méritos cuando el sistema se implementó nos estamos quedando sin Smerits, como en mi caso, que, aunque recibo de vez en cuando uno que otro mérito, tampoco tengo para dar tantos como quisiera.
Asimismo, la postulación para ser una Merit Source parece complicada, de tal modo que el dar méritos queda aparentemente relegado a unos pocos y definitivamente sólo a aquellos que hablen un buen inglés (que tampoco es mi caso, por cierto), quedando en el olvido las secciones locales, que tan importantes son.

Parece que el sistema tiende al estancamiento y al aislamiento, me temo.

There's no mistake, from my point of view. Well, if it was a mistake, it will be to be discovered.
The Cambridge Analityca Scandal is just a proof of what had happened for years regarding the Facebook enterprise, though.  In my opinion, this is just the top of the iceberg, but, sadly, I don't think it is going to be a serious investigation. Just take a look at the Zuck's appearance in front of the Congress and the US Senate, look at the questions they made to him, as in a social reunion. It wasn't serious enough, it was just theatre.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal just put into the table something everybody already knew: Facebook surveillance and how the use of the platform can even change the way you think, But nobody cares, people still use the platform, still share anything they do and their relatives...

There is some interesting proposal you can read about on the internet:
- Philipp Sanders's proposal against corrupted governments: https://medium.com/@philippsandner/solving-challenges-in-developing-countries-with-blockchain-technology-78ec9b01bae3
- Ironically, the Bill&Melinda Gate's foundation is talking about creating a project to help people in poor condition by the use of the blockchain technology and Bitcoin (that's ironic because Bill Gates don't use to speak nicely about Bitcoin, but you know when money is abroad...). https://www.technologyreview.com/s/604144/how-blockchain-can-lift-up-the-worlds-poor/
- Also, WFP is taking the lead on a project related to stopping the hunger by using the new tech: https://www.devex.com/news/new-initiative-aims-to-deliver-on-the-promise-of-blockchain-for-identity-90620
- Another interesting point should be the use of the Blockchain technology in elections. There has been an attempt in Venezuela trying to stop corruption, as well as on Sierra Leona. Agora is one of the enterprises dedicated to it, but, surprisingly (or not) they are not as transparent as they should be. Nevertheless, it is an interesting point of view, and you can read about it in here: https://agora.vote/

Well, just google it. There are much information related to projects focused on helping people by the use of the blockchain technology.

There' s a lot of scamming regarding cancer. Many people on the internet are selling miracle treatment and promising it to cure cancer, as the "Clorito" scam and such.
There are many different types of cancer, and the treatments depend on how bad your condition is.
A life with cancer is a difficult one, of course. I've lived it closely, and the end was sad, but all the years she lived being ill we all try she to be happy. There's nothing to do but to trust in your doctor, for they have been studying it for years. Miracle cure doesn't exist, this kind of stuff is meant of taking advantage of desperate people and to rob their money.

The "report to moderator button" is a TOOL for users. Of course, it depends on why are you here in the forum. If you are a compromised user, if you enjoy the forum and all the information you can find it here for FREE, then you enjoy the "Report to moderator" button, for it gives you the opportunity of making a collaboration in cleaning the forum.
So, this button is a privilege, if you look at it from this point of view.
Of course, if your only goal in the forum is earning some money instead of making a contribution, you will write such a kind of threads, looking for compensation for anything you contribute with. But the compensation is all the information you can get in here. It should be more than enough!!!

Thanks for your answer.
I do believe this is going to be stable somehow, for, as you've said, the merit transfer has low down. Also, the biggest and most concerning issue seems to be the hacked accounts but this activity is relegated to those who know how to hack accounts, and it is not so simple, but the cases are augmenting and of course it can be done, but shortly discovered. As you said, the fastest way of detecting and recovering hacked accounts is a necessary path to take.
Regarding the merit farmers, maybe they get tired and they will reach a non-trespassing point someday soon. But the problem, from my point of view, is that they are going, surely, to find another new and imaginative way of farming, either by hacking account, either by hacking merits. That's why I always propose the "Report possible merit abuse button".
Also, even if it is going to stop any day soon, this is annoying how many reports of merit abusers we have each day in the meta section when it can be easily stopped by a new system of moderation, for many of the reports don't seem legit to me.
I know you spend time in the Spanish board, and, if you see the merit transaction of the most active members in this board, the normal situation is for them to send merit to each other, for they are all in the same board, and that doesn't mean a farming activity. It can happen in each local board and due to the number of threads opened in meta with merit abuse accusations, I 'm afraid this can become a wich's haunt, an unfair one, for it depends on the context.
That's why I strongly believe this is a matter for the mods on each board.
Anyway, yes, probably they will run out of merit (the farmers) and eventually they will stop doing that. But what about all those who were able to rank-up to full member for instance, due to the farmer activity?

Seems like a new and sophisticated way of farming, I'm afraid. There are some topics related to how many deleted posts can be used to farm, for this is quite easy: you create garbage, receive merit from your alt, then delete your crap and Behold! You have received merit and nobody can't say they are not legit.
As you well know, I've been for a while trying to be listened to the idea of beginning to mod the merit system, by a "Merit abuse report button" in each profile. Sadly, it doesn't have caught the attention and many people disagree.

As Theymos has said, maybe the merit system needs a while, for all these farmers will be, soon or later, out of merits, so they won't be able to farm anymore. I hope so, but, is there any calculation we can make in order to know if it is possible? I mean: is there any math that proves that the farmers eventually will be running out of merit and, by so, it will be impossible for them to farm anymore?
You are the math guy, do you think this is going to happen?

Of course, I strongly believe in self-education!! That's why my point is about how less and fewer people are willing to study and learn (no matter how), but to become rich in a magic way. Just take a look at the forum, you will see how many are in here with just one goal: to earn some cents instead of learning.
Investing with no experience is what is making some people rich, but not the newbie investors, but the scammers taking advantage of it.

Oh man, why don't you try to elaborate your answer a bit more? If this is just for gaining activity, best stay in silent. We all are trying to make the forum a better place, so if you have nothing of interest to add, just shut up.


I totally disagree with you. Many people are losing their money just by going into the market with no clue of how it works. That' s precisely the main reason why scammers are successful in robbing people by promising the sky with ICOs and magic investments.
People need to be educated in how the crypto world works, instead of believing that this is a magic path and that they will be rich anytime soon by spending $100 in any crypto.
This is a complicated new technology which can lead humanity into a new economic system, and not a game and a way to become rich.
Every time a newbie in crypto spent his/her money with zero knowledge the beast is fed and the image of the crypto world is, once more, the one of a scam and nothing serious. If you want to succeed in this, you need to study, thought.

Good video, I find difficult to understand how many people think Trump deserves anything but going to jail...
Anyway, the Nobel prize has lost its credibility since Obama was mentioned with one. Even when it was crystal clear that the price is a political reward instead of a deserved one, the mere mention of Trump in the list is a big joke.
If Trump gets a Nobel we are lost as a society. There were many better presidents, as José Mujica, from Uruguay, who shows everybody how to live in humble conditions and how to help a country by making yourself an example. Nevertheless, he didn't throw bombs to innocent people which seems to be the necessary condition to receive a Nobel of Peace.
Shocking.

Impossible. Where there are too many people, there is violence and unnatural behavior. Humankind in a confined place seems to behave similarly to animals in confinement: the social engagement suffers and the natural behavior disappears.
Konrad Lorenz was an excellent writer, he also won a Nobel prize for his research related to animals/humans behavior and the analysis of society. I strongly recommend for you to read one of his master's book: Civilized man's eight deadly sins (you can download it from here:http://www.freepdf.info/index.php?post/Lorenz-Konrad-Civilized-man-s-eight-deadly-sins).

This is a brilliant exposition directly related to your question, for, in there, Lorenz explains how overpopulation is finishing the "natural" behavior of the humankind and how dangerous it is. He also compares human with wolfs in captivity and the changes in their natural social system.

"Bitcoin is just the next evolution of a payment system". It rocks, man, I  really liked the documentary, thanks.
Anyway, it opens few unresolved questions, I feel this is one of the first times I've seen a documentary well explained, for they take real cases and explain them with legit answers.
I enjoyed it, 100% recommended.

This is really different to make a trip or to emigrate to another country. I have lived in three different countries and travel around more than 20, and the real shock comes when you try to make your living in a different culture. Nevertheless, it makes you feel really different when you come back home, for, after a few years away, you can feel a "nowhere" person, that's my case.
I love so many things from my original country, and I despise many as well, and also I hate many things of my current country and love many others. I think humanity is taking a path towards no boundaries, and maybe this is when the real knowledge will come: in the time where every people can travel, can live in many different ways of life, many cultures, and such, they will begin to love everyplace and to understand and respect the differences between cultures.

It happens to me all the time. When I feel optimistic and happy, I always win, when I feel pessimistic and in a bad mood, I always lose. There is not a chance for it to be related to concentration? I mean: when you give too much importance to anything (think about any problem you have had in your recent life), it grows, and, on the contrary, when you don't give a s***t about something, it suddenly works out!!
I will take a look at that book, anyway, Thanks in advance for your recommendation

Seems like personal issues between the users instead of serious accusations of scamming activities, which supposedly are the reasons for giving red trust to anybody.
I think this is normal to have "enemies" when you are a moderator or a "heavy user". Take a look at the meta section, last week we had a "war" between a cryptopussie and The Pharmacist...

Yet, you have a point: discussion of such a kind between DT members seems unserious, but, even so, from my point of view, those are just personal issues, and, as long as don't affect the forum, that's normal, people don't have to engage but to do well their job.

It has been discussed on the Meta section and, of course, can be interpreted under two different points of view:
1.- This is a new kind of farming-accounts system. This is easy: you create anything with your alt account, merit this and then delete the post, for you will never be able of being accused of being merited by writing garbage. I'm afraid it is efficient for those with alt-farmings-accounts.
2.- From the last month mods have been really actives and they have moved/locked/erased many posts, including some with useful quotes. Maybe many merited posts were deleted as a collateral damage, but we will never know.

Some users are talking about losing the merit you had if the post is deleted, but this is not implemented yet. In my case, I rather prefer for them to implement a "Report possible merit abuse" button in each profile section, for merit is not moderated and I think it should be. Many merit accusations have no fundament, for instance in local boards, where there are fewer people, they merited each other, yes, but, as I have seen, the merits are well-deserved in many cases, and there is not farming at all (for instance, the spanish local section, in which you will find many useful posts made by few, and of course, they merited the quality). That's why the profiles should have this kind of button, and merit system should be moderated due to the increment of farming activity.