Merit & new rank requirements

[romanovst]

Hi, just checking out how will we contact or ask you to review our history for us to be a source of merit? Thanks a lot.

You cannot become  a merit source. This is a position that comes with a lot of responsibility and thus you need to be an established member here to apply for this. Admin has not defined any fixed criteria for being this established member but I think he meant that the profile should be at least an year old and should have made some quality contribution here. You can work on both aspects and apply later. To apply, for this a member has to quote 10 posts from the forum (of other members)  that he thinks have not got sufficient merits.

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[guschin]

how someone can send merit points?

To send merit points, you will first have to earn some. For instance, if you get two merit points for a post, you will get 1 smerit. You can then send this sMerit to another user for his quality contribution. To send the merit point, you have to click on +merit option which is visible on top of every post. It will take you to another page where you will be asked to enter the number of merits that you want to give this post. Once you enter the number of merits and click submit, merits will be send to that post.

[SevenSign]

In addition to activity, everyone now has a merit score, and you need both a certain activity level and a certain merit score in order to reach higher member ranks. The required scores are:

Rank	Required activity	Required merit
Brand new	0	0
Newbie	1	0
Jr Member	30	0
Member	60	10
Full Member	120	100
Sr. Member	240	250
Hero Member	480	500
Legendary	Random in the range 775-1030	1000

You get merit points when someone sends you some for one of your posts. Additionally, when someone sends you merit points, half of those points can be sent by you to other people.

Certain users are designated as "merit sources". They can create new merit out of nothing, up to a limited number per month (which differs per source). I will not be posting a definitive list of merit sources (so that people don't bug them too much), though you'll soon figure out who they are if you pay attention.

There is currently no such thing as a "demerit". I'm hoping that the positive merits alone will be fine. I could add demerits pretty easily later on if necessary, though.

I'm hoping that this system will increase post quality by:
 - Forcing people to post high-quality stuff in order to rank up. If you just post garbage, you will never get even 1 merit point, and you will therefore never be able to put links in your signature, etc.
 - Highlighting good posts with the "Merited by" line.

While we will not be directly moderating this, I encourage people to give merit to posts that are objectively high-quality, not just posts that you agree with.

Do not beg for merit excessively.

Useful infographics

Forum users have helpfully created some infographics to explain the merit system:
paxmao's infographic
ibminer's infographic
8Habits's infographic
JetSet11's infographic
zentdex's infographic
alia_armelle's infographic

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 by other people that have not received nearly enough merit for how good they are, and post quotes for them all in a new Meta thread. The point of this is to demonstrate your ability to give out merit usefully.
 3. We will take a look at your history and maybe make you a source.

I am especially eager to have merit sources in sub-communities such as the local sections.

Trivia:

For current members, your initial merit score is equal to the minimum required to your rank. Of that, a certain amount (less than the usual half) is spendable. The spendable amount was calculated based on your current rank and the number of activity points you earned in the last year. A Legendary member who hasn't posted in the last year would still be Legendary, but would not have any spendable merit.

If someone sends you 1 merit, the 0.5 sMerit is not wasted; it is just not shown until you get another merit point.

There are stats here, and you can find someone's merit summary by clicking the "merit" link on their profile.

[tranthidung]

I created a post in the service section that maybe most of you didn't see it. The concept is simple: read the rules and create an art that could help others (newbies especially) and in return for your contribution, you get sMerit.
The topic (arts) contains also basic and helpful information written mostly in a simple manner and easy to read and understand.
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2957836, welcome. (free ad theymos for a free work )

Hello Sir,

Do you have signature code for Junior member or member rank. I would like to wear you signature because I strongly support merit system. I don't want to see spammers abundant in the forum and continue to move up to higher positions. They usually covered the forum with shitty posts especially in altcoins boards.

By the way, I highly concerned about side-effects of your art campaign. The reason is it looks likely easier for merit beggers to get them from making inforgraphics, videos, etc. I don't deny their efforts, their time they put on those ones; they deserved to get sMerits. However the potential side-effects can occur is the forum will be abundant with infographics (part of them are oversized, make threads harder to read, etc.).
As we can see Theymos limited ability to post images to Full Members and higher due to this unpleasant effects.
I can not find the link to his announcement before disabling images for Junior members (I will update it later when I get it by chance).

[nniecan001]

The problem in this merit system is the merit count that you can send to others is very limited ( specially when you have a low rank account when the time merit system invented ). What if Sir theymos update this kind of merit system, atleast adding 1 merit everyday (sendable merit). Like my rank, I sent my merit to someone worth it, that's why I don't have smerit even I see a quality post while browsing here in bitcointalk.org.

Hoping that this message can caught the attention of the Admin theymos.

What do you think?

[Lupus Solitarius]

I didn't write here in the last weeks, and I was just curious how the situation evolved.
Well, some ideas:

1) it seems that most of the people are more interested to earn cheap money from bounties that to learn to trade

2) a lot of people are more interested in discussion about merits than about crypto

3) to receive merit is much more about luck than quality: I mean, to receive a merit you need

     a) to write a decent post
     b) to hope that people READ your post
     c) to hope that they LIKE it
     d) to hope that they HAVE merits to give

there is too hope on the table; I'm a deterministic person, I like cause/effect stuff, so sincerely I lost interest in all this stuff about merit.
May be this was the primal intention, to force people to give up.

Oh, well, I'll try to survive without merits...

[FlightyPouch]

The problem in this merit system is the merit count that you can send to others is very limited ( specially when you have a low rank account when the time merit system invented ).

So you want a sMerit that is not limited? That might be a problem if that happens. I think the merit system is not that limited since you can have 1 sMerit for every 2 merits you receive.

What if Sir theymos update this kind of merit system, atleast adding 1 merit everyday (sendable merit).

That will be a lot of merit and it will be obviously abused by the members who has a lot of accounts, don't you think?

Like my rank, I sent my merit to someone worth it, that's why I don't have smerit even I see a quality post while browsing here in bitcointalk.org.

Well, you give your merit to a one member. I do not know if that is worth it or intentional since there is a lot of thread here that is more worthy than that 2 posts.

Hoping that this message can caught the attention of the Admin theymos.

I think so, but I think it will just be ignored .

[galkina]

I didn't write here in the last weeks, and I was just curious how the situation evolved.
Well, some ideas:

1) it seems that most of the people are more interested to earn cheap money from bounties that to learn to trade

There is nothing wrong with this as long as that member is following the rules here and his activity is not affecting the forum quality. But if someone starts making useless posts to reach desired activity or to complete the number of posts required to be be eligible for bounty, this is an issue. I see that you are using the signature of a bounty yourself and thus this advice does not suit from you. If it was given by a member who is not using a signature, it would have more impact.

[nniecan001]

In my native language, a rich choice of words, I would pick up for you a few ,

Well, when you are able to communicate those words in English and not Genglish come on back as I would love to hear them!  

I lost interest in you.

Don't mind them, they used unnecessary word , like DA FUQ (from The Pharmacist) and You wont understand anything I write but hey who fucking cares. (from Flying Hellfish),  too arrogant, one who rudely acts as though he is better than other people. Yes, maybe in english word but not in other ability or talent.


It's alright Bitalex56, as long as you tried to become good in english, I put my respect on you. Just be humble and keep going what you want to be.

[Byzantium101]

I think we are going too far on the English and Genglish pun and the requisite for a "good English" for posting. I am not a native English speaker and surely make plenty of mistakes, but I think is best to focus on content rather than on the shape. I will merit posts that I can understand and are well thought even if the writing is just average. I am not looking for grammar lessons here, just for crypto fun, learn and perhaps investing better.

I mean, in the future because I don't think I am getting merit for the moment  

[tingcq9]

Does anyone know how the new system is currently running? How much better quality posts? How much less spam? Are the merits are given to the right people?

[InvoKing]

Does anyone know how the new system is currently running?

Make good and useful posts even in your native language and get the reward.

How much better quality posts? How much less spam?

Better quality posts : yes
Less spam : +/- it depends from the rank requirements of every member

Are the merits are given to the right people?

Mostly yes but unfortunately not all the time, meanwhile those abusing the system are & will be tagged soon or later

I think we are going too far on the English and Genglish pun and the requisite for a "good English" for posting.
-snip-

For most of users here, English isn't considered as the first language but at least, everyone can understand what they are trying to say. In some cases, you find a puzzle of random words...in this case, better to stick to your language topic/section.
That's my opinion, and everyone is free to do what he wants here and he should accept it since it doesn't break any rules..

[Lunarics]

This is a new gang on the district  

[Creating N Action]

For those users who send merit to their own post. Ther are punishments when you send merit in your own post?  .
You can not give some merit to your own post because you do not know how wonderful it for the eyes of others. Let them to decide or examine our posts because they have better understanding to know which the impressive to our posts.

Hopefully in the next merit system update, remove this sign "+ merit" on the side of our own post. Because once you cheat, you are always a cheater.

[TheQuin]

For those users who send merit to their own post. Ther are punishments when you send merit in your own post?  .
You can not give some merit to your own post because you do not know how wonderful it for the eyes of others. Let them to decide or examine our posts because they have better understanding to know which the impressive to our posts.

Hopefully in the next merit system update, remove this sign "+ merit" on the side of our own post. Because once you cheat, you are always a cheater.

You can't merit your own post you just get an error if you try. That was a bug fixed on the first day of implementation.

[Flying Hellfish]

I think we are going too far on the English and Genglish pun and the requisite for a "good English" for posting. I am not a native English speaker and surely make plenty of mistakes, but I think is best to focus on content rather than on the shape. I will merit posts that I can understand and are well thought even if the writing is just average. I am not looking for grammar lessons here, just for crypto fun, learn and perhaps investing better.

I mean, in the future because I don't think I am getting merit for the moment  

I haven't seen anyone saying English must be the posters native language and that every post must be grammatically perfect.  There is a big difference between someone clearly using Google Translate vs someone with the ability to write something understandable... I can't learn something from a post I can not understand. I can't discuss a post/points when the language barrier prevents it.

[jakeshadows27]

new system hard to follow for other maybe not all good in english or making a good post how can you identified if your post is good quality ? what topic is more interesting to have a merit. newbie

[Lunarics]

In my native language, a rich choice of words, I would pick up for you a few ,

Well, when you are able to communicate those words in English and not Genglish come on back as I would love to hear them!  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymtTUPqSFcM
English, Motherfu*** do you speak it? In 5 Languages

[nniecan001]

I think we are going too far on the English and Genglish pun and the requisite for a "good English" for posting. I am not a native English speaker and surely make plenty of mistakes, but I think is best to focus on content rather than on the shape. I will merit posts that I can understand and are well thought even if the writing is just average. I am not looking for grammar lessons here, just for crypto fun, learn and perhaps investing better.

I mean, in the future because I don't think I am getting merit for the moment  

I haven't seen anyone saying English must be the posters native language and that every post must be grammatically perfect.  There is a big difference between someone clearly using Google Translate vs someone with the ability to write something understandable... I can't learn something from a post I can not understand. I can't discuss a post/points when the language barrier prevents it.

Even if there's a barrier in language or even in dialect in one country/world, it doesn't mean that you can dominate others and allow to speak unnecessary (offensive) words to that person.
This Flying Hellfish is acting a good boy( baby boy ) right now, OMG. How lucky you start to register in bitcointalk.org in early year, I just imagine if the demerit is active right now. You can get a lot award, and I will congratulate you for sure.

[tranthidung]

Just for fun   , and I hope that everyone will like it  .

I don't see there are demands for such a funny infographics, Theymos has announced about merit system and its rules, its mechanism, its desrired effects on forum users. If users who are really care about the forum issues and would like to contribute to the forum at the first place; they will spend several minutes (10 or 30 minutes or even more) to read the ANN very carefully. With them, they actually don't need such a funny infographics; simply they don't need them because they can understand the terms, rules by themselves via spending their time to read. I am sure that it is not certainly that infographics' creators put correct information or explanations or expressions in their arts. If they put wrong contents, express original ideas of merit system wrongly, those arts would lead to terrible misunderstandings on their readers.

On the other hand, with users who are totally don't care about the forum issues, they need infographics for sure. Why is that? It is mainly because two factors. The first one is, they lack of proficiency in English (most of them are spammers, scammers, shitty-posters); they even can not read and understand topics/ posts correctly; they can not write a complete sentence with appropriate vocabularies and correct grammar. With those ones, infographics are utmost things. Secondly, merit system launched to give motivations for forum users to be more constructive over time with ultimate target is go enhance the overal quality of forum posts. I don't think that we (good users) should help those ones to rank up; they should do this by themselves. Most of them will continue to spam the forum after ranking up to at least Member in the forum.

Lastly, infographics (most of them) are too large (oversized) and make readers uncomfortable to read. As Theymos stated some weeks ago, images are unpleasant problems in the forum recently due to massive abusements from lower users.

Due to abuse, newbie-posted embedded images are now disabled on these pages:
- Topic display
- Recent posts / patrol
- Previews
They're not currently hidden in PMs or on some other pages (like a user's "show posts" page), though I might change that later if it seems necessary.

Disabled images get transformed into links automatically. When the poster becomes a Jr member, the images that he tried to post previously will automatically be re-enabled (though there might be a few minutes of delay).

This extends to all past posts as well as future ones.

Infographics might lead to new endemic (simply call it as infographics-endemic) in our forum (of course, at higher level).