The way activity is calculated is complicated to understand, but simply put
you can only get 14 activity points every two week period. This is basically all you need to know but I will explain the intricacies and technicalities of the system below to avoid any confusion:
★ You can only get 14 activity points every fortnightly period.
★ The fortnightly periods are fixed and do not start when you sign up.
★ A list of all the dates of the activity periods can be found on this
spreadsheet (credit goes to
jambola2 for compiling it).
★ You can technically get more than 14 activity in two weeks if you sign up between periods.
★ You only need to make at least one post in each activity period to be able to collect the activity at a later date. For instance, you could make one post in three different periods and you would then have 3 posts and 3 activity, but a potential activity of 42. Once you made the 42 posts you would then have 42 activity but no more. If you made one post in 35 different periods you would then have 35 posts and 35 activity but a potential activity of 480. That means you would be a Junior Member but if you made the full 480 posts you would instantly become a Hero Member.
★ If your post count eclipses your activity by 14 or more then you will only need to make one post in the new period to get the full 14 activity. For instance, your post count is 200 but your activity is only 28. To get another 14 activity you will only need to make one post in the new period and you will then have a total of 42 activity.
Ranks and activity:Brand New: 0 posts
Newbie: 1-29 activity
Jr. Member: 30-59 activity
Member: 60-119 activity
Full Member: 120-239 activity
Sr. Member: 240-479 activity
Hero Member: 480 activity
Legendary: Somewhere between 775 and 1030 activity
Merit:In addition to Activity you now need Merit to achieve each rank. The required merit is detailed below:
Brand new: 0
Newbie: 0
Jr Member: 1
Member: 10
Full Member: 100
Sr. Member: 250
Hero Member: 500
Legendary: 1000
Here is a table of the activity periods and time it will take you to achieve each rank:1 X 14 = 14
2 X 14 = 28
3 X 14 = 42 --- Junior. Member (1.5 month)
4 X 14 = 56
5 X 14 = 70 --- Member (2.5 month)
6 X 14 = 84
7 X 14 = 98
8 X 14 = 112
9 X 14 = 126 --- Full Member (4.5 month)
10 X 14 = 140
11 X 14 = 154
12 X 14 = 168
13 X 14 = 182
14 X 14 = 196
15 X 14 = 210
16 X 14 = 224
17 X 14 = 238
18 X 14 = 252 --- Senior Member (8.5 month)
19 X 14 = 266
20 X 14 = 280
21 X 14 = 294
22 X 14 = 308
23 X 14 = 322
24 X 14 = 336
25 X 14 = 350
26 X 14 = 364
27 X 14 = 378
28 X 14 = 392
29 X 14 = 406
30 X 14 = 420
31 X 14 = 434
32 X 14 = 448
33 X 14 = 462
34 X 14 = 476
35 X 14 = 490 ---- Hero Member (1.3 years)
36 X 14 = 504
37 X 14 = 518
38 X 14 = 532
39 X 14 = 546
40 X 14 = 560
41 X 14 = 574
42 X 14 = 588
43 X 14 = 602
44 X 14 = 616
45 X 14 = 630
46 X 14 = 644
47 X 14 = 658
48 X 14 = 672
49 X 14 = 686
50 X 14 = 700
51 X 14 = 714
52 X 14 = 728
53 X 14 = 742
54 X 14 = 756
55 X 14 = 770
56 X 14 = 784 --- Legendary rank (2 years)
-------------------Activity FAQ:Why is my activity stuck/not moving?Because you can only get 14 activity every two week period. You will have to wait until the next period starts to get another 14.
Why has my rank/activity not updated?It can take up to an hour to update. Just be patient.
Can activity or my rank decrease?Yes. It can only decrease if you have
all the posts you made from a particular period deleted or the threads you posted in trashcanned. If you do it's possible to drop rank until you have enough activity again.
Can I get more than 14 activity in two week period?No. However, you can technically get more than 14 activity in a fortnight if you sign up in between periods, but you can't get more than 14 activity in a fortnightly period. For instance, if the period starts on a Wednesday and you sign up on Tuesday you can get 14 points on Tuesday and another 14 on Wednesday providing the period has started. You will then have 28 activity points but won't be able to get any more until two weeks' time when the new period starts.
What happens if I miss a period?Nothing. You just won't get that activity and you miss that activity forever. Just make sure to post in the next period to get another 14.
Why can't I change my avatar?You need to be a Full Member and up to be able to have an avatar.
When do I become Legendary?You will become Legendary randomly somewhere between 775 and 1030 activity.
Does time spent online count towards activity?No. It counts towards absolutely nothing and is a meaningless statistic.
Do only certain boards or posts have to be a minimum character length to count towards activity?No. All boards and posts of all length currently count towards both.
If I create an account and leave it for x amount of time will I become a higher rank when I return?No. You will still be a newbie. Activity measures how
active you are on the forum and is to prevent against lazy account farming. If you do not make at least one post in each period then you will not get that activity.
Why can't I post images?Because you need to be a Junior Member to do that. To become a Junior Member you will have to have posted in three activity periods and have at least 28 activity. However, you can bypass these restriction by buying a Copper Membership for a small fee
here.
-------------------Merit FAQ:What is Merit?Merit is a new system created in order to reward quality contributions to the forum. Now to rise through ranks you will also need to acquire Merit in addition to Activity.
How do I receive merit?You are awarded merit by people of the community if they find your post helpful or informative.
How do I send Merit?There is a +Merit button at the top right of every post. To give merit click on it and follow the instructions.
What is the difference between Merit and sMerit?There are two types of Merit. You cannot send your merits, just sMerit. For every Merit you receive you will have 0.5 spendable merit to reward posts as you see fit.
Can I ask for merit?There is no need to do this and this behaviour is usually seen as 'merit begging' which is frowned upon by the community and may lead to you receiving negative feedback. Keep making quality, constructive posts and you will surely be rewarded over time.
Can I sell merit?Selling merit is disallowed.
Can I give merit to my alt accounts?No, this is frowned upon and will almost certainly lead to you receiving negative feedback if discovered.
Can I be demerited or lose merit?No, not currently. Even if your post is removed the merit will still stay.
What is a merit source?There are a certain number of special Merit sources who receive additional amounts of merit to give away. The list is not publicly available but is know to Staff.
How do I become a merit source?As per theymos' instructions:
If you want to be a merit source:
1. Be a somewhat established member.
2. Collect TEN posts written in the last couple of months that have not received nearly enough merit for how good they are, and post quotes for them all in a new Meta thread.
3. We will take a look at your history and maybe make you a source.
Is there a limit on how many merits I can send?Yes. You can give a max of 50 merit to a user every 30 days.
Merit stats:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=merit;statsNote: Please do not make useless 'thanks for the info' type posts in here as they will be removed, as will any questions that have already been answered or explained. If there's something that isn't clear or needs to be added then that's fine and I will add the details to the op as needed. Please report any threads that ask questions that have already been answered here as they are now unnecessary and will be removed. Thanks.