Why the merit system is heavily lopsided in favour of older users

[alia]

This is not a rant about why merit sucks; imo it's a good and interesting system, but the amount of bias that comes into play is insane. For example, when I joined the forum, the merit system was already implemented. It is already evident to me that it is very hard to get merit, much less get to 100 or 1000. But, had I stayed on the forum only 4-5 days before merit was implemented, and had I posted around a bit, when the merit system rolled in I would have automatically gotten 100 merit points - something that now takes weeks, if not months of quality posting.

For Members and above, it's really no biggie, since they get free merit. But for newbies like myself, getting to the next rank is exponentially higher because you really have to grind. Grinding isn't bad... but imo it's really unfair. Just a mini-rant.

Your English is perfect, you are a valuable member of the community. Have 10 merits, you won't struggle to get to Legendary your limitation will be activity not merits

Wow. You have my sincerest thanks and gratitude.

[phantastisch]

This is not a rant about why merit sucks; imo it's a good and interesting system, but the amount of bias that comes into play is insane. For example, when I joined the forum, the merit system was already implemented. It is already evident to me that it is very hard to get merit, much less get to 100 or 1000. But, had I stayed on the forum only 4-5 days before merit was implemented, and had I posted around a bit, when the merit system rolled in I would have automatically gotten 100 merit points - something that now takes weeks, if not months of quality posting.

For Members and above, it's really no biggie, since they get free merit. But for newbies like myself, getting to the next rank is exponentially higher because you really have to grind. Grinding isn't bad... but imo it's really unfair. Just a mini-rant.

Your English is perfect, you are a valuable member of the community. Have 10 merits, you won't struggle to get to Legendary your limitation will be activity not merits

Tman discovered the first post from alia_armelle and her „joke“ about what she will do When she gets to 100 merits.
Well played.

[TMAN]

This is not a rant about why merit sucks; imo it's a good and interesting system, but the amount of bias that comes into play is insane. For example, when I joined the forum, the merit system was already implemented. It is already evident to me that it is very hard to get merit, much less get to 100 or 1000. But, had I stayed on the forum only 4-5 days before merit was implemented, and had I posted around a bit, when the merit system rolled in I would have automatically gotten 100 merit points - something that now takes weeks, if not months of quality posting.

For Members and above, it's really no biggie, since they get free merit. But for newbies like myself, getting to the next rank is exponentially higher because you really have to grind. Grinding isn't bad... but imo it's really unfair. Just a mini-rant.

Your English is perfect, you are a valuable member of the community. Have 10 merits, you won't struggle to get to Legendary your limitation will be activity not merits

Tman discovered the first post from alia_armelle and her „joke“ about what she will do When she gets to 100 merits.
Well played.

This place isn't all about being a serious straight... if the odd newbie comes in with something to entertain us, Then props to them. I guarantee 100 will not be hard for this user.

[Tesorex]

This is not a rant about why merit sucks; imo it's a good and interesting system, but the amount of bias that comes into play is insane. For example, when I joined the forum, the merit system was already implemented. It is already evident to me that it is very hard to get merit, much less get to 100 or 1000. But, had I stayed on the forum only 4-5 days before merit was implemented, and had I posted around a bit, when the merit system rolled in I would have automatically gotten 100 merit points - something that now takes weeks, if not months of quality posting.

For Members and above, it's really no biggie, since they get free merit. But for newbies like myself, getting to the next rank is exponentially higher because you really have to grind. Grinding isn't bad... but imo it's really unfair. Just a mini-rant.

Your English is perfect, you are a valuable member of the community. Have 10 merits, you won't struggle to get to Legendary your limitation will be activity not merits

Tman discovered the first post from alia_armelle and her „joke“ about what she will do When she gets to 100 merits.
Well played.

Giving merits could be used as sexual extortion if no one is moderating it.

[TMAN]

This is not a rant about why merit sucks; imo it's a good and interesting system, but the amount of bias that comes into play is insane. For example, when I joined the forum, the merit system was already implemented. It is already evident to me that it is very hard to get merit, much less get to 100 or 1000. But, had I stayed on the forum only 4-5 days before merit was implemented, and had I posted around a bit, when the merit system rolled in I would have automatically gotten 100 merit points - something that now takes weeks, if not months of quality posting.

For Members and above, it's really no biggie, since they get free merit. But for newbies like myself, getting to the next rank is exponentially higher because you really have to grind. Grinding isn't bad... but imo it's really unfair. Just a mini-rant.

Your English is perfect, you are a valuable member of the community. Have 10 merits, you won't struggle to get to Legendary your limitation will be activity not merits

Tman discovered the first post from alia_armelle and her „joke“ about what she will do When she gets to 100 merits.
Well played.

That's sexual extortion.

no its not.. they made a joke post that I rewarded..  big difference fella

[Foxpup]

That's sexual extortion.

She's the one who offered to do it. You can't blame anyone for accepting her offer (except merit sources, who aren't allowed to participate in such dealings).

[Tesorex]

That's sexual extortion.

She's the one who offered to do it. You can't blame anyone for accepting her offer (except merit sources, who aren't allowed to participate in such dealings).

Maybe I misunderstood what was the hint.
If the offer stands, I could pay for 100 merits, though I would want a private show.

If I have 100 merit in 30 days, I'll eat all my words and post a vid of me masturbating to a merit infographic

Let's see if this is too subtle for forum users to take the hint...

[alia]

That's sexual extortion.

She's the one who offered to do it. You can't blame anyone for accepting her offer (except merit sources, who aren't allowed to participate in such dealings).

Maybe I misunderstood what was the hint.
If the offer stands, I could pay for 100 merits, though I would want a private show.

If I have 100 merit in 30 days, I'll eat all my words and post a vid of me masturbating to a merit infographic

Let's see if this is too subtle for forum users to take the hint...

It was a joke, that I'll now apparently have to honour. I'm afraid I can't take payment in the form of merits - but if you want a private show, BTC will do

[LoyceV]

It's nice to see a Newbie with more Merit than Activity! Welcome to Bitcointalk, glad you joined^*!

But for newbies like myself, getting to the next rank is exponentially higher because you really have to grind. Grinding isn't bad... but imo it's really unfair. Just a mini-rant.

The Merit system is meant to stop spammers from ranking up. You're doing just fine, and clearly you're not part of the many users that create random useless posts.

You may want to read Merit is the best thing that happened to new users too. Thanks to the Merit system, you're now not just one out of thousands of Newbies who register each day, you're now one of the few Newbies who's posts can easily be recognized to be worth reading.

^*alia turned out to be a known scammer

[alia]

It's nice to see a Newbie with more Merit than Activity! Welcome to Bitcointalk, glad you joined!

But for newbies like myself, getting to the next rank is exponentially higher because you really have to grind. Grinding isn't bad... but imo it's really unfair. Just a mini-rant.

The Merit system is meant to stop spammers from ranking up. You're doing just fine, and clearly you're not part of the many users that create random useless posts.

You may want to read Merit is the best thing that happened to new users too. Thanks to the Merit system, you're now not just one out of thousands of Newbies who register each day, you're now one of the few Newbies who's posts can easily be recognized to be worth reading.

Well, if you put it that way, it makes perfect sense. Interestingly enough, my love for the merit system is directly proportional to the number of merit points I have 

[Tatzky]

Yeah getting back to zero would be pain in the ass, that's why theymos has already given higher rank merit points, that's their previlage since they have already spend time and effort to reach their rank today.

As for newbies like us..... Make effort to earn merit from others.

[al1n]

The Merit system is meant to stop spammers from ranking up.

Well, not exactly. This will lead eventually to people making topics with jokes or cats and dogs pictures for "likes".
I'm not sure if that wouldn't be also a sort of spam.

[slashz9]

This is not a rant about why merit sucks; imo it's a good and interesting system, but the amount of bias that comes into play is insane. For example, when I joined the forum, the merit system was already implemented. It is already evident to me that it is very hard to get merit, much less get to 100 or 1000. But, had I stayed on the forum only 4-5 days before merit was implemented, and had I posted around a bit, when the merit system rolled in I would have automatically gotten 100 merit points - something that now takes weeks, if not months of quality posting.

For Members and above, it's really no biggie, since they get free merit. But for newbies like myself, getting to the next rank is exponentially higher because you really have to grind. Grinding isn't bad... but imo it's really unfair. Just a mini-rant.

You are a newbie but you have a vast exp regarding how this forum works    it will benefit you climbing the rank for sure compared to new people joining this forum.
Don't get me wrong but the merit system was launched to benefit the old loyal members of the forum rather than benefiting a newly join legit member or an alt seeking to exploit opportunities.

i think he's not newbie,i already read his post, and he already lost 1500 btc in the past. 
i think he a legend

[gua86402]

This is really unfair to other members.

I find it hard to get Merit, and it is harder for people who are not English to get Merit.

10 Merit is out of reach for me, 100 Merit seems to be an astronomical number!

[Jet Cash]

Ranked members were awarded merit to avoid them being de-ranked by the new system  Any other solution would have involved a lot more work.

[Palmerson]

Any restrictions is bad. They always have a Negative and positive effect. Indeed, the merit system creates more problems for beginners. I am sure that if in the future the administration of the forum is interested in new members they will disable this system. Do not forget that you are on the forum for the sake of communication. Ranks and merit is secondary.

[nullius]

I think I'm an outlier. If I have 100 merit in 30 days, I'll eat all my words and post a vid of me masturbating to a merit infographic

Hello, Alia, you sly meretrix.  When I first saw this thread, I thought to challenge you on a friendly wager for which of us would reach 100 merit first—or to make it interesting, on double stakes, for which of us would reach 200 first.  Given the splash you made with a two-day-old account, I expected that surely, I would see you here with us other “outliers” someday.  Yet now, I must call on you to do your duty in making the forum great again.  For unto you is the destiny of becoming an historic forum first:  The first-ever and only user to perform public sexual favours after losing what was effectually a bet against her own posting prowess.

Alas, you’ve been slacking off.  Though you made an earnest start, your rate of earning merit has dropped off sharply; and the days now fly by as we approach the 30-day deadline of 2018-03-01 00:52:43 UTC.  Bad girl.

Now, as of the moment I post this, I have exactly 48 sMerit—all legitimately earned by me through meritorious posting, and as yet unspent (unlike the 145 merits I have already distributed to others).  By astonishing coincidence, you have 52 merit.  My current sMerit and your merit sum to exactly 100; thus, I could force you to honour your word with a single click.  The thought itself is less pleasing to me than my ability to tease you about it:  For as a vocal defender of the merit system’s integrity, I shall do no such thing.  I send outlandish amounts of merit in one shot only to Core developers.

Wherefore I have spent several hours of my time combing your post history, searching for posts I deem meritorious.  From that list, I’ll be slowly dripping merit on you.  It will total only a limited amount.  You will get more from me if you make new meritorious posts.  I’ll be watching.

I will not link to the posts I chose.  Those who are curious may watch my merit history page; but I don’t wish to set up any specific posts as “click here to send the hot girl merit” targets for less thoughtful readers.  Rather, I will generally describe the types of Alia posts which merit my attention:

• Cogent posts of moderate length about Bitcoin, money, monetary policy, and the social-political implications of these things.  I don’t agree with all your arguments, but they are well-made.  These are the primary type of “new user” posts through which the merit system should divide the wheat from the tares.  You made several—a few weeks ago.  I encourage you to make more.
• Scam warnings for newbies.  You made some of those as a newbie, which is impressive.  Better still, in one case, you disposed of scammer pretenses with a sarcastic quip.  Dry, withering contempt cracked as a one-line whip:  That made me smile.
• More generally, posts which bared an exquisite wit.  Alia, o Alia, whatever will entice you to expose that more, more oft?  Words worthy of ogling:  We need more of those.
• A post which mocked Quickseller, the Bitcoin Forum’s resident Iago.  We definitely need more of those.
• A post which advertised your erotic services on the basis that you’re “a crypto enthusiast and expert—something rare for camgirls”.  Though I doubt your expertise draws more customers than your other assets, I myself like your style.
• A post questioning how to teach children about Bitcoin—I presume, forward-looking.  So, you are not a mere hedonist:  You’re a real person, whatever unknowns may lie behind your forum persona; and you broach topics (plus raise concerns) people should contemplate.  (You made a newbie mistake by creating a duplicate thread, not realizing you could move your original thread to the correct forum; but that’s no big deal, when you were a Newbie.)
• Miscellaneous other bits which made me think, We need more posts like this.  We need more people like this.

Alia, the forum needs for you to lose your bet against yourself—and not simply for the promised payout.  Foremost, it needs those posts.  Moreover, it needs for this story to reach its climax.  Let Legendaries a few years hence reminisce over the legend of the girl who bet she couldn’t earn 100 merit in a month, and thus wound up publicly demonstrating a merit infographic fetish.  For you, such a unique forum achievement would also come with bragging rights (just as I boast being only member of this forum who has ever received +50 for a flame, as a cry from the one being burnt).  Put out, but don’t let yourself down here!


Finally, I must make clear that I contemplate the foregoing with a certain level of detachment:  For I am not one of your potential clients.  That’s nothing personal; I don’t doubt that you must grace your clients with delectations worth every satoshi.  Whereas I myself have never paid for that which I’ve always had for free, whenever I wanted it.

As with the process of earning forum merit, the trick to that is no secret:  All things come to those who are wanted.

Thus to your service offerings, I will make a counter-offer.  Should you wish to experience hardcore literary cybersex, anatomically expressed at conversational speed in properly punctuated full sentences, then my special rate for you will be 0.005 BTC/hour.  Given a counterparty who can keep up with me, my cyber sessions usually last an hour or two from foreplay through denoument.  Also, should you desire an erotic pen pal, then my price for you is 0.01 BTC per letter—and I do mean letter, in the old-fashioned sense.  Some of my best erotic letters have taken many hours to compose; I consider them a form of art, and I take art seriously.  If collected and published, my secret epistolary relationships would make for genuine literature; but secrets wrapped in ciphers they shall remain, for I don’t kiss and tell.

My longstanding policy is to chat only via XMPP with OTR, though I may be willing to consider trying Tox; for correspondence, I require PGP mail—preferably with your elliptic curves, though I wouldn’t mind doing modular exponentiation with your public exponent.  I expect that “a crypto enthusiast and expert” should be algorithmically aroused by the proposition of so much cryptography.  Don’t just “trust the numbers”:  Lust for the numbers!  For my part, besides the thrill, I find that my reliance on old-school cypherpunk staples relieves me of certain concerns; vide the Bitmessage vulnerability warning you currently see displayed at the top of this page.

This offer is open only to Alia, as identified by PGP and/or OTR fingerprints countersigned by 1Sexyb1p8byGxunfTfHvL9SXsWqHyEPVk.  (If but only I touch your fingerprints, I’ll have your keys to new realms of passion.)  For others, the rates would be (much) higher; serious inquiries only, please.

For the record, I see reflected in your posts that there is more than meets the eye.  But that’s not pertinent here.  I am simply doing my own part to make the forum great sexier.

[alia]

I think I'm an outlier. If I have 100 merit in 30 days, I'll eat all my words and post a vid of me masturbating to a merit infographic

Hello, Alia, you sly meretrix.  When I first saw this thread, I thought to challenge you on a friendly wager for which of us would reach 100 merit first—or to make it interesting, on double stakes, for which of us would reach 200 first.  Given the splash you made with a two-day-old account, I expected that surely, I would see you here with us other “outliers” someday.  Yet now, I must call on you to do your duty in making the forum great again.  For unto you is the destiny of becoming an historic forum first:  The first-ever and only user to perform public sexual favours after losing what was effectually a bet against her own posting prowess.

Alas, you’ve been slacking off.  Though you made an earnest start, your rate of earning merit has dropped off sharply; and the days now fly by as we approach the 30-day deadline of 2018-03-01 00:52:43 UTC.  Bad girl.

Now, as of the moment I post this, I have exactly 48 sMerit—all legitimately earned by me through meritorious posting, and as yet unspent (unlike the 145 merits I have already distributed to others).  By astonishing coincidence, you have 52 merit.  My current sMerit and your merit sum to exactly 100; thus, I could force you to honour your word with a single click.  The thought itself is less pleasing to me than my ability to tease you about it:  For as a vocal defender of the merit system’s integrity, I shall do no such thing.  I send outlandish amounts of merit in one shot only to Core developers.

Wherefore I have spent several hours of my time combing your post history, searching for posts I deem meritorious.  From that list, I’ll be slowly dripping merit on you.  It will total only a limited amount.  You will get more from me if you make new meritorious posts.  I’ll be watching.

I will not link to the posts I chose.  Those who are curious may watch my merit history page; but I don’t wish to set up any specific posts as “click here to send the hot girl merit” targets for less thoughtful readers.  Rather, I will generally describe the types of Alia posts which merit my attention:

• Cogent posts of moderate length about Bitcoin, money, monetary policy, and the social-political implications of these things.  I don’t agree with all your arguments, but they are well-made.  These are the primary type of “new user” posts through which the merit system should divide the wheat from the tares.  You made several—a few weeks ago.  I encourage you to make more.
• Scam warnings for newbies.  You made some of those as a newbie, which is impressive.  Better still, in one case, you disposed of scammer pretenses with a sarcastic quip.  Dry, withering contempt cracked as a one-line whip:  That made me smile.
• More generally, posts which bared an exquisite wit.  Alia, o Alia, whatever will entice you to expose that more, more oft?  Words worthy of ogling:  We need more of those.
• A post which mocked Quickseller, the Bitcoin Forum’s resident Iago.  We definitely need more of those.
• A post which advertised your erotic services on the basis that you’re “a crypto enthusiast and expert—something rare for camgirls”.  Though I doubt your expertise draws more customers than your other assets, I myself like your style.
• A post questioning how to teach children about Bitcoin—I presume, forward-looking.  So, you are not a mere hedonist:  You’re a real person, whatever unknowns may lie behind your forum persona; and you broach topics (plus raise concerns) people should contemplate.  (You made a newbie mistake by creating a duplicate thread, not realizing you could move your original thread to the correct forum; but that’s no big deal, when you were a Newbie.)
• Miscellaneous other bits which made me think, We need more posts like this.  We need more people like this.

Alia, the forum needs for you to lose your bet against yourself—and not simply for the promised payout.  Foremost, it needs those posts.  Moreover, it needs for this story to reach its climax.  Let Legendaries a few years hence reminisce over the legend of the girl who bet she couldn’t earn 100 merit in a month, and thus wound up publicly demonstrating a merit infographic fetish.  For you, such a unique forum achievement would also come with bragging rights (just as I boast being only member of this forum who has ever received +50 for a flame, as a cry from the one being burnt).  Put out, but don’t let yourself down here!


Finally, I must make clear that I contemplate the foregoing with a certain level of detachment:  For I am not one of your potential clients.  That’s nothing personal; I don’t doubt that you must grace your clients with delectations worth every satoshi.  Whereas I myself have never paid for that which I’ve always had for free, whenever I wanted it.

As with the process of earning forum merit, the trick to that is no secret:  All things come to those who are wanted.

Thus to your service offerings, I will make a counter-offer.  Should you wish to experience hardcore literary cybersex, anatomically expressed at conversational speed in properly punctuated full sentences, then my special rate for you will be 0.005 BTC/hour.  Given a counterparty who can keep up with me, my cyber sessions usually last an hour or two from foreplay through denoument.  Also, should you desire an erotic pen pal, then my price for you is 0.01 BTC per letter—and I do mean letter, in the old-fashioned sense.  Some of my best erotic letters have taken many hours to compose; I consider them a form of art, and I take art seriously.  If collected and published, my secret epistolary relationships would make for genuine literature; but secrets wrapped in ciphers they shall remain, for I don’t kiss and tell.

My longstanding policy is to chat only via XMPP with OTR, though I may be willing to consider trying Tox; for correspondence, I require PGP mail—preferably with your elliptic curves, though I wouldn’t mind doing modular exponentiation with your public exponent.  I expect that “a crypto enthusiast and expert” should be algorithmically aroused by the proposition of so much cryptography.  Don’t just “trust the numbers”:  Lust for the numbers!  For my part, besides the thrill, I find that my reliance on old-school cypherpunk staples relieves me of certain concerns; vide the Bitmessage vulnerability warning you currently see displayed at the top of this page.

This offer is open only to Alia, as identified by PGP and/or OTR fingerprints countersigned by 1Sexyb1p8byGxunfTfHvL9SXsWqHyEPVk.  (If but only I touch your fingerprints, I’ll have your keys to new realms of passion.)  For others, the rates would be (much) higher; serious inquiries only, please.

For the record, I see reflected in your posts that there is more than meets the eye.  But that’s not pertinent here.  I am simply doing my own part to make the forum great sexier.

I think this might be the best post ever made on this forum. You might also be the most charming and well-spoken person I've ever encountered online. I am seriously considering your offer, thank you very much for your kind words. I'll do my best to live up to the potential you see in me.

[nullius]

I think this might be the best post ever made on this forum.

Thanks, but no—such posts as this are what drew me to this forum.  (I could not give that one merit, because I’d already sent its author a total of 50 merits within the past 30 days.)

You might also be the most charming and well-spoken person I've ever encountered online. I am seriously considering your offer, thank you very much for your kind words. I'll do my best to live up to the potential you see in me.

’Twould be a business doing pleasure with you.

Having splashed you with some merit for posts which actually deserved it, I will now start the drip.  I’m told that I can be a tease.

In large part, my confidence in your ability to lose your bet against yourself is predicated on the thrill-skill required to work oneself into such win-win predicaments.  Now comes the hard part (so to speak) of delivering on your loss.  Cheers.

[TMAN]

I think this might be the best post ever made on this forum.

Thanks, but no—such posts as this are what drew me to this forum.  (I could not give that one merit, because I’d already sent its author a total of 50 merits within the past 30 days.)

You might also be the most charming and well-spoken person I've ever encountered online. I am seriously considering your offer, thank you very much for your kind words. I'll do my best to live up to the potential you see in me.

’Twould be a business doing pleasure with you.

Having splashed you with some merit for posts which actually deserved it, I will now start the drip.  I’m told that I can be a tease.

In large part, my confidence in your ability to lose your bet against yourself is predicated on the thrill-skill required to work oneself into such win-win predicaments.  Now comes the hard part (so to speak) of delivering on your loss.  Cheers.

As smooth as silk brother.. bitcoin knowledge and a silver tongue.