I think we're not on the same page when it comes to giving out merits. As a newbie, we also have the capability to give out merits when we receive atleast two. This makes us realize that we aren't only a receiving end here rather we could also acknowledge one another though we are still reliant on "sources."
I think we should post and encourage more people to acknowledge one another. I received 2 merits and actually I'm having a hard time how to spend my smerits but I will do so.
I think the big reason for the general reluctance to give out merits is that we each have a very limited supply. If we have 5 merits and know that we'll get another 5 next week or next month, then we'll be happy to give them out... but as we have no way to acquire merits except through those given by others, the situation is self-perpetuating... no-one wants to give merit because they might never get any more, so the scarcity makes it so much more valuable... a bit like bitcoin itself
I'm not sure what the answer is. sMerit decay might be one option. But let's see how it all works out, as it is a great idea in principle - we need to give it more time to settle down. Certainly there is a lot of responsibility on the few people who are 'merit sources' to wander through all the sections of the forum and reward people who deserve it. These people do seem to be helping out, but if they ever become inactive then the halving system of Merit and sMerit will mean that everyone else's supply will dry up.
