Hey buddy,

Welcome to the blockchain world.
There are lots of courses: Available courses on Bitcoin and Blockchain Technology from colleges and Universities. In fact, you can find out more online courses, free or paid, from coursera.org or edx.org.

Starting from these ones is good, too.

If you find new cources, which have not yet listed in my thread, you can let know by leaving a post with links to courses you found, I will take a look at them and add them in OP.

From what theymos wrote in his guide: [Guide] Decent mixing methods. The probability to see mixing services discovered by authorities, and shut them down is not too low. He mentioned that even ChipMixer (it seems the best mixing service for now) can be shut down. In addition, mixing services do not truly provide full privacy for their customers, as they always promised.

There are always new ICOs, IEOs, but over time, it turns out to become more difficult for new ICOs, and IEOs successfully raise funds they plan. The fact is, investors, from their past investments and their losses, actually become more careful with their investment decisions. They don't naively believe in investment advice from their friends, group leaders, etc. They changed themselves, and spend more time to read, learn, and investigate projects that they have interests and consider to invest.
Therefore, scam ICOs, IEOs mostly failed, but I don't think that they are reasons as you mentioned.
Personally, I saw growths of Bitcoin and Ethereum, in their liquidities.

It is more interesting if LoyceV can scrap data (in their trust page) from those zero-merit-earned DT2 members - especially whom get only 1, or <= 2 / <=3 positive trusts - to see how they got positive trusts. I believe most of them got from trade. Despite the fact that trust used to show trustworthiness in trade between users, I doubt that those ones are likely bought positive trusts. I considered them as potential biased DT2 members, whom might use their power wrongly or inappropriately which in turn result in trust drama.
It is a myth for me to see that guy in DT1 member list. Turned to inactive just one day before the day theymos made his trust list for this month.
I saw that user added in theymos' latest trust list, but not sure why it happened.
Which kind of inclusive criteria used here in order to have a group, from which randomly choose eligible ones?
I agreed with LoyceV's perspective

Excellent thread, dkbit98!
I know and play some of those quizzes, but not all of them. Your thread gave me extra sources which are helpful to increase my knowledge on phising attacks. Links to all those quizzes saved in computer, for later use, when I have time to entertain and review concepts on phishing attacks.

What I saw is people nearly forgot to look at the growth of both bitcoin and altcoins in their dailly liquidity. Liquidity growths give us very strong signal for growth of crypto currency market, in general. When demands increase, price will increase later, certainly. No one can answer when bitcoin will stop its domination in crypto market, like it has been so far this year. No one can answer when altcoins will officially start its season this year, or whether altcoins have their season this year or not.

Like what we all witnessed when bitcoin fell to around $3100 in late days of 2018, but bitcoin has never ended as dead one. It rallied, and brought happiness to most of us, especially investors whom bought at bottom range.

Believe me, altcoins will certainly do bring happiness to loyal, patient investors, whom hold them till the bearish period of altcoins goes away.
Important to remind altcoin investors that what I said only apply for good altcoins, for shit, scam altcoins, yeah, investors should take advantage of any pumps from news to get out, and reduce their losses.

Impressive ratio of merit per post, at 1/2826. Just kidding, I want to add some points on off-topic posts:

In my opinion, off-topic posts are the ones:

• Totally shitposts: one-lined, non-sense, spam
• Relates to issues that raise by OPs, but already answered/ solved by previous posts (it means when questions of OPs solved, your posts will become pointless if you repeatedly answer what others already answered in posts before yours)
• Completely not relate to issues that are discussing in threads

Yesterday, I joined that club, and now we have in the same club.  

Interesting findings are less than 15% of normal users (non-DT1/DT2 members in the clubs of most merited profiles as well as most merit senders).
DT1 members obviously dominate two clubs, with the same percentage at 50%.
For more details, please read: Percentages of DT1, DT2 & normal users in top100 merited profiles, merit senders

I meant long standing DT members, includes DT1 and DT2 members (I corrected my post).
Original post:
Everyone has to climb up from normal user to DT2 member, then DT1 member, and maintain it over time. If one DT1 member turn to be untrusted, he/she will be excluded by others, as @ThePharmacist mentioned.
Escrow service always has its function, so using it always the best choice.
By the way, it raises one important point for Newbies:
Usually, when newbie want to trade with high-rank members, or DT members with 1, 2 positive trusts (or even higher positive trusts), they should be careful. Because they might easily fall into the trap that: "you are newbie, so please go first."
Months ago, I remembered LoyceV made a list of abused DT2 members, when Default Trust Change activated, someone in the list of DT members tried to sell trust, or include friends into list of DT members.
On the other hand, people can 'buy' trust, in my opinion, from their trades. I know that trust basically use for trade, to show trustworthiness, besides some other situation. One person can do a smooth trade with $500 or $1000, and get one positive trust in return, but it does not make sense that after getting one positive trust, that guy will do smooth trade with others, without Escrow service.
I neither trade with others nor get positive trust(s), it does not mean that I am untrusted guy.  
Post quality/ merit history is just one of inclusive factors.

Thank you. After making decent efforts, and after nearly 18 months since merit system birthday, I have known that merit system does not ruin my life. In fact, it changed me unimaginably.
DT members actually are high trusted users, especially long-standing DT1, DT2 members (I don't mention about newly-added DT2 members, whom need more time to demonstrate that they deserve). DT members have been well-known, not only from their good posts, but also from their contributions in different ways (like you mentioned, cleaning shitposts, spams, account sales, merit abusements, scam projects, and so on).
However, I am just curious because being DT member is not what I desire, because it might cause unexpected, and annoying personal issues. I saw some DT1 members withdrawn their positions, not because they used their power wrongly (not all of them), but they actually felt annoying with attacks on them.
It is true that there are some DT members, sometimes use their power inappropriately, especially new ones. We are all human, DT members too, so just try to use power (when you have it) appropriately, friendly, and wisely. When someone makes others paranoid, they will react with negative responses, includes attacks.

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Me too. Nevertheless, there is a fact that there are 50 DT members (both DT1, and DT2) in the top 100 merited profiles, while there are only 131 merit sources in total. It means there are more DT members as merit sources beyond top 100, and there are normal users chose as merit sources.
I think theymos has his clear purpose to maintain balance among merit sources.
Just sometimes, but it is not always true. High reputable users sometimes get merits for their jokes, but it does not occur too often. The determinant factor which decides posts receive merits or not is post quality.

OP should raise other questions:
- How many bots actively posting in forum?
- How many AIs actively working in forum?
 

Notes:
- Update will be made in new posts, not in OP; but for now I don't have plans to update, but I might do it quarterly.

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ABSTRACT

(1) Percentages of DT1 members are the same, at 50% in top 100 merited profiles and top 100 merit senders.
(2) Percentages of DT2 members are 37% and 34%, in top 100 merited profiles and top 100 merit senders, respectively.
(3) Percentages of normal users are 13% and 14%, in top 100 merited profiles and top 100 merit senders, respectively.

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Top 100 of most merited profiles

Hours ago, I moved to top 100 of most merited profiles in BPIP ranking page, at the 99th position. Then, I play with data available on that page to count percentages of DT1, DT2, and normal users in the top 100 of most merited profiles.

I got this dataset from BPIP most merited profiles

What I got from that dataset is:

• DT1 members: 50 (50%)
• DT2 members: 37 (37%)
• Normal members: 13 (13%)

Only 13% users in top 100-merited profiles are normal users (non-DT members), as of writing, August 26, 2019, 01:23:55 PM (forum time)

Question:
- For the rest (87%), how many users became DT members after jumping into that top?

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Top 100 of most merit senders

I got this dataset from BPIP most merit sent

What I got from that dataset is:

• DT1 members: 50 (50%)
• DT2 members: 36 (36%)
• Normal members: 14 (14%)

Only 14% users in top 100 merit senders are normal users (non-DT members), as of writing, August 26, 2019, 01:23:55 PM (forum time)

I earned my 600th merits on 9th September 2019.

It is better to choose campaigns that managed by highly reputable managers, whom will certainly pay for your works. Things behind the scene, Escrow or non-Escrow, how managers investigate campaigns before deciding to manage is their responsibility. Campaigns that have funds escrowed don't guarentee that you will get payments. Such campaigns look better than non-Escrowed campaigns, but only this factor does not guarentee anything for participants.
Companies can cheat managers, or managers can cheat participants, but Escrow service Providers can not pay for participants (it is not their responsibilities, in most cases they just hold funds, and without requests from companies or managers, they don't pay for anyone)

Who knows, even experienced managers. The odds that experienced managers scammed by experienced scammers is not extremely low.
Consequently, ask companies for using Escrow service for funds of campaigns, bounties is essential.
I have not yet managed a campaign, but I have a thread for my service, in which I stated that Escrow service is required or companies have to go first and send fund to me. I will stop campaigns immediately when they found to be scam ones, but payments will be sent to participants.

I was a newbie, like some of you, so I understood what you felt because I actually had felt the same. Let me give a short tutorial.

- At beginning, you should not pay too much attention, and time to visit Service, Bounty boards. Since the day forum has merit system (merit system released, and enhanced), there is no opportunities to rank up (even to Junior Member - that is the lowest rank can wear signature and allows in campaigns/ bounties) simply by shitposts
- Instead, you should read rules, and more basic but essential in forum, that will sure play important roles to help you later, if you want to make your career here.
- Don't solely focus on shit bounties and likely scam projects, because it might destroy your account, and you might get nothing with trashy tokens.
- Trying to apply in good campaigns, that will boost you to work harder, and become better user over time.
When you apply to your first campaign that has high payment rates in bitcoin, ie. you will have to try with better posts than those ones before you apply. It is fact and there is no need to hide that fact. Me too.
It is normal if you fail with your first application in first good campaign you choose to apply. So, let's move forwards by keep improving your post quality, and repeatedly applying in other good campaigns.
Eventually, someday you will get your spot (of course, only if you don't give up, and seriously keep improving your post quality).
- Overtime, you will feel more joy and less pressure when making good posts. When making good posts turns to be your posting habit, you will get fun with each of your posts. Believe me!
- Overtime, you will rank up, your account will become higher competitive, and you will have better odds to join in campaigns, with better income.

There is a thread from Brainboss: Advantages of engaging in quality contributions on the forum.

Bounties are complicated to manage, due to many types of promotions, Facebook, Twitter, Telegram, Content Creation, Blog/Articles, Translation, etc. Furthermore, bounties are more preferable by abusers, because most of bounties don't ask for high-quality users, below average, instead.
In contrast, signature campaigns are easy to manage. Because if managers are good posters, and serious with their works, they will eliminate shitposters at beginning, and over weeks of campaigns, it is easy to check post quality and reject payments for bad posts.
It is right, but not completely true. Scam projects mostly managed by scam-favorited, and low-quality managers. They don't care about red trust, because their targets is working for scam projects. That's all.
If you notice, you should see that most of negative trusted managers are from old-era, it means they got that rank without merit system, and they are low-quality high-ranked users as well as bad managers.
Rules can be changed, includes payment rates. However, if the campaign run for 10 weeks, and rules changed since week 5, I highly suggest to maintain payment rates and apply old rules for participants and their works during first four weeks. Changes of rules & payment rates will be only applied since week 5.
For KYC requirements, it is kind of scam management. Projects and managers should know at beginnings of their bounties that their bounties will be abused, and should have plans to screen abusers (through KYCs), and make clear point in bounty rules about KYC or non-KYC, and stick with it till the end of bounties. They can not arbitrarily change rule on KYC.
I don't say it is unfair for multi accounts because they also violate another rule (don't accept mutli account, most of campaigns/ bounties have that rule). I would like to point out that same real users don't want to do KYCs, and they should have rights to accept or reject KYC before making applications. If is unfair for them if at the end of bounties, they have to do KYCs, which they don't want to do, just to get payments.
I totally agreed with you at this point, but you know what, you made a serious mistake too.
You should screenshot that spreadsheet, and blurr details in email column. You unintentionally gave bad guys a long list of emails. So, when you see my thread, please change OP like I proposed.

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One last point to add:
Managers should ask for Escrow service to make sure that participants will get payments for their works.
I saw many bounties that abruptly end, and no payments at all for participants, even they worked for 5, 10, 20 weeks. That's weird management style and should avoid.

Excellent, rosezionjohn.
More self-made promoted users, more proofs that merit system works and helps good users to rank up to higher ranks. Merit system gives more challenges for all users, but good users will take advantage of merit challenge to improve themselves, and it is only good for them. I don't know what exactly others' situations, but I actually spent more time to read and learn, after merit system kicked-off in January of 2018. It is a bit shame that I did not do it before January of 2018.
Anyway, we all live for current moments, not past ones. We learn from past, live for current moments.
Currently, I am here as a good user in forum, so are you.

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For others, especially recently ranked up users, please give me your stories.

I will try to give you all an update on achievements of TOMOChain so far.

Stay tuned (I will update the post later)

I don't know since when forum did not allow account delete, but I guess when it became bigger enough to let admins think that account deletes might result in complicated situations related to those accounts. Let imagine someone create an account to manage a project, and create OP; then months later delete that account and there is no proof left if forum does not have regularly archival procedure.
One more thing to consider, by the way, is threads can not  be deleted.

I don't know that at beginning threads allowed to delete or not, or that restriction was implemented nearly same day or same period in which account delete disabled.

There was an unofficial account delete service, but suspended years ago - since May 2015: [SAD] I delete your account

For now, people only can ask for username change, but it is not for all, and only very special cases (VIP, donators, or very very special case of normal user) will get acceptance and support from admins to do username change.

Just a few months ago, there was a user - at Senior Member rank, that was reactively after years, and asked for username change, because he did not have attention to keep using that account, and did not want his personal name abused (that is what I remember). Then, admin or global moderator gave him a hand, and changed username after few hours (from his personal name to ABCDEXYZ, something like that)

Both of you are wrong. The right one is: sportsbet.io.
Sportsbet.com, sportsbet.org, sportsbet.it, sportsbet.whatever are all wrong. If someone already used the platform for so long, and new register users whom actually sent their money to new register accounts, they should remember the site address: sportsbet.io. Later, whenever they want to visit the site, typing the address is what they must do.
Some people use so many platforms, and they don't remember site addresses, so they search through Google, that in turn sometimes will show links of phishing sites.
sportsbet.io