Suggestion : Merit Jail

[MagicSmoker]

...An alternate strategy would be to require members and below earn a certain number of merits per unit time to enable their signature.
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Or just disable the sig space of people positively reported for shitposting for a certain number of posts (say 20 shitposts ? you no get signature no mo!!)

Hmm, I like it. And though some of the mods seem to abhor automating any of this process (fearing it would be used maliciously), I think as long as there is an ability to appeal the disabling of the sigs by posting in meta and asking for a reevaluation would make this fair while cutting down on the mods' work.

[athanz88]

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If you do not get a certain amount of merit, you will not be allowed to post 'normally' outside of that board or not at all maybe.
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While I am just as much in favor of stopping the shitposting and sig/bounty campaign spamming, I think requiring a certain number of merits per unit time would unfairly punish people like me because I spend the vast majority of my time in the altcoins mining and announcements sections where there seems to be few or no merit sources circulating. An alternate strategy would be to require members and below earn a certain number of merits per unit time to enable their signature.

I should note this idea has been independently conceived/suggested by many besides me, so I'm not going to claim originality. Just tossing it out as alternative.

Or just disable the sig space of people positively reported for shitposting for a certain number of posts (say 20 shitposts ? you no get signature no mo!!)

This would make more jobs to mod i believe. I am sure if Theymos wants, he can add more moderators, but he seems to be busy right now or got other matters to deal with. Plus, down vote or report system will make people spamming the system  to reduce their competitor in the same rank for signature campaign even though this competitor is not a shitposter, because who knows, maybe the mods will agree with the report.

[Kim Ji Won]

OP, I respect your idea but I'd much prefer we bring back the actual newbie jail instead.  Maybe restrict noobs to a section where they can't get paid for running a signature, can't earn merit, or both.  Maybe have their exit from said jail contingent upon activity or something like that, I don't know. 

The real problem is that there are too many accounts being registered, and they begin spamming from day one--and then they start getting paid for it as soon as they rank up to Jr. Member and can join one of these god-awful altcoin bounties. 

Either way, it would be great if we could at least try something even if it's not perfect.  Then at least we'd know if it works.

Wouldn't it be better if they could still earn merits while they are restriceted to a certain section? Then it would be a great idea if there would be enough merit sources that is focused on that section only. If their exit on jail will be based upon reaching a specific activity then all they have to do is to wait it up until their acquired the required number of activity right? It will still be the same but if it would be merit based, they will never have the chance to get out of that section to spam in other boards like they usually do.