People might sell they're merit points.

[Jet Cash]

I've given merits to newbies because I thought their posts were worth it. You can't buy merit from me, and anybody I see buying or selling merits is added to my ignore list. I will publish a gallery of people on my ignore list in the near future, and the link will go in my sig.

[tekusa]

I already saw this happening on another forum. Seller was also giving a quality post to be posted by the buyer.

[solovev]

I already saw this happening on another forum. Seller was also giving a quality post to be posted by the buyer.

There is a thread here mentioning members abusing the merit system https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2823221.0. You should report this on that thread.

[jekzy]

Hello guys i saw some newbie has a merit points haha.what do you think?they buy it or not?because anyone who had merit points can be transfer to other people or sell them to other people.

I don’t see anything wrong in noobies acquiring merit. I don’t understand why you automatically jump to conclusion it was bought? Merit is not panacea to provide information about accoun authority, its a tool to prevent mass account farming.

And where did u get your merit?

[Jet Cash]

And where did u get your merit?

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=merit;u=1754807

[Brambam]

But if you get two Merits you will also get one sMerit to share. So for 1000 Merits that we all got from somebody we get 500 more in circulation.
How that is not enough? What would be the point of billion Merits in circulation? It would be less quality over quantity.

[teddy5145]

But if you get two Merits you will also get one sMerit to share. So for 1000 Merits that we all got from somebody we get 500 more in circulation.
How that is not enough? What would be the point of billion Merits in circulation? It would be less quality over quantity.

Theymos hand-picked source of merits, these members are deemed to be active and helpful to the community, that Theymos gave them If I'm not wrong around 20 Smerit each week so it can be given to another member whose participation in the community are constructive.
Besides, this forum has thousands of members, and not all of them will give merits very often, I would guess it will take years before we face situation as you described.

My question is how would you know if they bought it and how would you know if it was just given by their friends,
And also how about those who have some farm accounts ?
How could we know that they aren't just buying their merits and their merits came from different people not from their farm accounts?

If someone receives a lot of merits by a single users, it will be deemed suspicious by the community, although it is not necessary mean that user are buying merits.
It is also easy to spot someone who sends merit between their own alts because we have our own list of known account alts
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2544574.0
Besides, they will deplete their Smerit anyway if they decided to send their alts Merits to each other

[Jet Cash]

Members were given merits commensurate with their rank when the merit system was started. This meant that they were not demoted. For example, I got 500 as a hero. There were a few sMerits associated with the initial awards as well. sMerits I've earned from posting since the system started have been added to the 70 or so I got at the beginning.

[Colorblind]

But if you get two Merits you will also get one sMerit to share. So for 1000 Merits that we all got from somebody we get 500 more in circulation.
How that is not enough? What would be the point of billion Merits in circulation? It would be less quality over quantity.

Ahm... this is actually decaying system where merit point become more and more scarce unless there is a source that creates merit out of thin air (there actually is).

I.e. say someone have 1000 sendable merit to start with. He can merit someone 500 merit. Then that person can merit 250 etc
So 1000 sendable merit will generally translate up to 1000 + 500 + 250 +125 + 62 + 31 + 15 +  7 + 3 +1 = 1 994 UNsendable merit points before it will be totally spent.

[LemonF3]

So I think this merit mechanism is unfair, because it would allow those legendary or heroic users to profit from the merit mechanisms, and not to upgrade those who can not afford it.

Yes I agree with you. There will be possibilities of selling and buying of merits. So those who are higher in rank can benefit with this and so their friends. With this case, merit system will tend to be unfair. But anyway, there are also some who are righteous and fair to their fellows especially like me, a newbie, who are willing to give to those who deserve it. And they are the ones to be called a role model and are very much worthy of appreciation.

[tuanytcc]

Yes I agree with you. There will be possibilities of selling and buying of merits. So those who are higher in rank can benefit with this and so their friends. With this case, merit system will tend to be unfair. But anyway, there are also some who are righteous and fair to their fellows especially like me, a newbie, who are willing to give to those who deserve it. And they are the ones to be called a role model and are very much worthy of appreciation.

Furthermore, they can exchange merit each other. I give you link to examples of this bad approach. They will be tagged sooner or later by users in the forum.
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2992663.msg30804024#msg30804024

[RENTMONEY]

There is no might in it. They will be sold.

I haven't looked or seen any but I would bet my last dollar its being sold via a third party website.

There is no way to stop it.

[Vod]

There is no might in it. They will be sold.

I haven't looked or seen any but I would bet my last dollar its being sold via a third party website.

There is no way to stop it.

Of course it can be stopped.

The merit system - revolutionary.  Barely launched.

Gentlemen, we can rebuild this forum.  We have the technology.  We have the capability to make the world's first relevant bitcoin forum.

bitcointalk.org will be that forum.  Better than it was before.  Better.  More relevant.  Faster.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7zNY0I5JNI

[krishnaverma]

There is no might in it. They will be sold.

I haven't looked or seen any but I would bet my last dollar its being sold via a third party website.

There is no way to stop it.

Those sellers will get out of merits very soon. The system is designed in a way that default merit points will be over in 2-3 months. Most of the merits will then come from merit sources and they will give to to promising members with quality posts.

[19faraon88]

We don't know what is really happening in terms of merit points, maybe some people likes their post and give them merits. But, we are not close door, If other people here in forum buy merits to others or sell their merits.

[topleskacah]

So I think this merit mechanism is unfair, because it would allow those legendary or heroic users to profit from the merit mechanisms, and not to upgrade those who can not afford it.

you are right, merit system does reduce the number of spamer
but, the negative impact of merit system is that we will be very long to raise rank, because it requires a lot of merit.
and I have seen, not all good posts get merit.
if you make a good post. but people who read do not like it, then you will not get merit.

[jekzy]

So I think this merit mechanism is unfair, because it would allow those legendary or heroic users to profit from the merit mechanisms, and not to upgrade those who can not afford it.

you are right, merit system does reduce the number of spamer
but, the negative impact of merit system is that we will be very long to raise rank, because it requires a lot of merit.
and I have seen, not all good posts get merit.
if you make a good post. but people who read do not like it, then you will not get merit.

Yeah your'e right,and you  can see some other newbie has a merit points.

[duchaiyb]

I think those "high ranking account" never sell their reward merit, because that's the reputation that they actively contribute to the overall goals of the Forum. Again they have the money! 

[tranthidung]

I think those "high ranking account" never sell their reward merit, because that's the reputation that they actively contribute to the overall goals of the Forum. Again they have the money! 

Some of them sell their sMerits, but they should not do this because they will be tagged with red trust sooner or later. Over time, they will feel harder to get more merits after original allocated merit points run out. Earning merits by contributing to the forum is better choice and it's legally approach based on current forum rules.

[Saveplus]

This was againts the rule we all know that selling merits is not in rules and regulations sooner you may tag as a red trust due to farmers of merits.We should follow the policy of bitcointalk forum,try as harder to earn merit by constructing quality post and a constructive.