This is why merit sources shouldn't be known publicly.

[Jet Cash]

I received this pm from a senior member

Hey Bud,

I want to rank up my bct profile at some point in the future (I know it's a while until the next rank) but was wondering what I would need to do in order to get some merit? Or if you could throw me some that'd be awesome.

Let me know

Thiis is bad from a number of aspects. If he doesn't know what to do, then he isn't reading the threads, or supporting the forum. A lazy poster like that shouldn't be getting merits anyway. I was in a good mood, so I just put him on ignore, but I usually report the begging spam.

[espresso18]

Care to publish him/her identity in public because negative rating may come upon him/her 

[sncc]

Surprised that you received such a PM from a Sr. Member months after the introduction of the merit system, as one should have been known enough about the system by now.  The PM is clearly merit begging.

[Jet Cash]

I won't publish his name, as there seems to be a lot of grief and stress in the forum at the moment. I hope he will see this thread, and modify his behaviour in the future. Merit is something you earn, and not a commodity.

One thing that I will suggest to merit sources. Please look at recent post history if a guy appears to be trying. I see that some members are active and productive members of the community, but they don't receive any merit. This is because they don't make any of those outstanding posts in the high reward topic threads. Sometimes I give a merit or two to a member as a reward for making ten or twelve 'useful' posts. Just choose one of the posts, and award that with the merit. The forum needs good supportive, non-spammy posts as well as the coruscating ones.

[Crypto_Sassy]

I won't publish his name, as there seems to be a lot of grief and stress in the forum at the moment. I hope he will see this thread, and modify his behaviour in the future. Merit is something you earn, and not a commodity.

One thing that I will suggest to merit sources. Please look at recent post history if a guy appears to be trying. I see that some members are active and productive members of the community, but they don't receive any merit. This is because they don't make any of those outstanding posts in the high reward topic threads. Sometimes I give a merit or two to a member as a reward for making ten or twelve 'useful' posts. Just choose one of the posts, and award that with the merit. The forum needs good supportive, non-spammy posts as well as the coruscating ones.

I liked your decision for not publicizing the name. I think scam,spam and Merit begging are all different issues and using same stick of trust does not look good. System should decide the punishment for Merit begging. AFAIK spam causes the temporary ban and scam cause -ve trust.

[SFR10]

If he doesn't know what to do, then he isn't reading the threads,

That's basically the case for 98% of the forum members.

I hope he will see this thread, and modify his behaviour in the future. Merit is something you earn, and not a commodity.

If the user in question, didn't bother to read about merits (prior to contacting you), then I highly doubt that he/she is going to change that behavior (especially since you put him/her on ignore). I suggest to point that user to the right direction and hope for the best.

[LoyceV]

I've had maybe one or two PMs from Merit beggars in the past. Just report them, and forget about them.

One thing that I will suggest to merit sources. Please look at recent post history if a guy appears to be trying. I see that some members are active and productive members of the community, but they don't receive any merit. This is because they don't make any of those outstanding posts in the high reward topic threads.

That's the thing: merit isn't only meant for outstanding posts. Being "outstanding" means it receives more merit, but posts only need to be "good" to be merited.
Remember that Merit was meant to discourage spam, and if someone isn't spamming, they're already far above the forum's average.

On a side note: You're very active rewarding merit, but you haven't left any trust feedback at all. Is there a reason for that?

[Makkara]

I received this pm from a senior member

Hey Bud,

I want to rank up my bct profile at some point in the future (I know it's a while until the next rank) but was wondering what I would need to do in order to get some merit? Or if you could throw me some that'd be awesome.

Let me know

Thiis is bad from a number of aspects. If he doesn't know what to do, then he isn't reading the threads, or supporting the forum. A lazy poster like that shouldn't be getting merits anyway. I was in a good mood, so I just put him on ignore, but I usually report the begging spam.

The formula to find out a merit source is trivial, just give him/her enough time and will be giving out more merits than he/her could possibly have. There is no way to keep it a secret.

[Jet Cash]

On a side note: You're very active rewarding merit, but you haven't left any trust feedback at all. Is there a reason for that?

I don't look at trust. I don't lend or borrow money, or trade in the forum, apart from domain names. The domain names I buy or sell are run through my registrar's market place, and that includes an escrow service. I feel that trust shoud relate to trading or financial activities, but it has become a measure of reputation, and I think that may have reduced it's usefulness for traders. However, a metric for reputation is a useful thing, so I'm not sure of the best solution. For example, there is no indication that a merit beggar is likely to default on a loan. In fact one could argue that if he is keen to rank up, then he is less likely to want to gain a bad reputation. The alternative argument is that merit begging or purchasing is cheating the forum, so if he is prepared to cheat the forum, he may be prepared to cheat other members.

[Foxpup]

The formula to find out a merit source is trivial, just give him/her enough time and will be giving out more merits than he/her could possibly have. There is no way to keep it a secret.

The secrecy of merit sources is assured by merit beggars being too stupid to think of that. Even after you just explained it, they still won't think of it, because most of them can barely understand English.

[coinlocket$]

I think is not hard to know who are the active sources merit. I Have a partial list of them (around 30).
The sad part is that a many of them are inactive so is really hard to complete the list since some regular member spent more sMerit than them!

But your situation is quite normal.
As you may know I'm a Scam hunter on free time and quite often I receive PM about scams,  is a normal situation if you are known on the community.

[bitart]

I won't publish his name, as there seems to be a lot of grief and stress in the forum at the moment. I hope he will see this thread, and modify his behaviour in the future. Merit is something you earn, and not a commodity.
...

I think he won't read this thread... if he/she don't know how to post to earn some merits, it means he/she haven't been to Meta yet...
What was the member's post quality like? Spammer or just lazy type?

I see that some members are active and productive members of the community, but they don't receive any merit.

This is like the Catch-22:
If you make good enough posts, but noone notices them, you won't get merit.
If you ask for merit (because you have good posts), you won't get merit, because you're begging.
Not an easy situation

[Jet Cash]

This is like the Catch-22:
If you make good enough posts, but noone notices them, you won't get merit.
If you ask for merit (because you have good posts), you won't get merit, because you're begging.
Not an easy situation

The reason they aren't noticed is that pollution is blocking the light for them. I feel that I have a responsibility as a merit source, but it is pretty hard and time consuming to find meritable psts. If I go to the beginners board, then most of the threads are about bounty, airdrops, sig bonuses and twitter, so I just leave the board. In my opinion, all of those posts should be moved to some other board(s), and this would give new members a chance to discuss Bitcoin, crypto, and the running of core nodes.

[Welsh]

I'm not even a merit source, and have had people ask me to send them merits. I also think that merit applications should be done via personal messages rather than publicly. However, I think theymos specifically stated to post a thread within Meta to apply.

Strangely enough I've had 2 people in the last week message  me thanking me for sending merits. I had no idea people were this polite on this forum

[pugman]

I'm not even a merit source, and have had people ask me to send them merits. I also think that merit applications should be done via personal messages rather than publicly. However, I think theymos specifically stated to post a thread within Meta to apply.

Strangely enough I've had 2 people in the last week message  me thanking me for sending merits. I had no idea people were this polite on this forum

BUT SIR! YOU DIDN'T GIVE MERIT TO DARKSTAR_ AND CREW. HOW ARE YOU NOT AN ALT OF DARKSTAR_? CHIPMIXER ONLY ACCEPTS ALT ACCOUNTS.....

DON, DO SOMETHING! Yo, Jet Cash, you know the solution for this more than anyone else. It's called ignore button. Use it. 

[Jet Cash]

Yo, Jet Cash, you know the solution for this more than anyone else. It's called ignore button. Use it.  

I've done that, but I thought it was worth reminding beggars that begging is counter productive. If you want to earn merit, being on the ignore list of merit sources isn't going to help you to rank up.

Today has been quite a good day as well. I found some posts on the tech boards that I felt I could give some merit.

[seoincorporation]

Thiis is bad from a number of aspects. If he doesn't know what to do, then he isn't reading the threads, or supporting the forum. A lazy poster like that shouldn't be getting merits anyway. I was in a good mood, so I just put him on ignore, but I usually report the begging spam.

A senior member knowing nothing about the merit system sounds like a bought account to me. Nevertheless, that's going to happen again, I'm afraid. Reporting them or ignoring them maybe depend on how they approach you, but, from my perspective, reporting them may be useful, just in case they are bought or hacked accounts.

[pandaki85]

I received this pm from a senior member

Hey Bud,

I want to rank up my bct profile at some point in the future (I know it's a while until the next rank) but was wondering what I would need to do in order to get some merit? Or if you could throw me some that'd be awesome.

Let me know

Thiis is bad from a number of aspects. If he doesn't know what to do, then he isn't reading the threads, or supporting the forum. A lazy poster like that shouldn't be getting merits anyway. I was in a good mood, so I just put him on ignore, but I usually report the begging spam.

I just want to say: THAT PM LOOKS SO BAD THAN MY POSTS!!
But thanks for sharing 

[Jet Cash]

OK - I had a quick look at the guys posting history, and I don't believe it is a bought account. He seems more interested in buying and selling, with a bit of trading, and has no negative trust apart from one retaliatory. Apart from his impulse to beg for merit, I can't see anything that is detrimental to the forum. I haven't looked in depth, but I'm inclined to leave this alone for the moment. It does show that begging for merit could have a serious impact on your trading activities here, and I hope that members will take note, and will not try to abuse the merit system.

[NavI_027]

Thiis is bad from a number of aspects. If he doesn't know what to do, then he isn't reading the threads, or supporting the forum. A lazy poster like that shouldn't be getting merits anyway. I was in a good mood, so I just put him on ignore, but I usually report the begging spam.

A senior member knowing nothing about the merit system sounds like a bought account to me. Nevertheless, that's going to happen again, I'm afraid. Reporting them or ignoring them maybe depend on how they approach you, but, from my perspective, reporting them may be useful, just in case they are bought or hacked accounts.

I agree with you because there's a big chance that you are right sir. It is very hard to believe (IMO) that a high-ranked member which also means being old here in the forum doesn't aware that merit begging is strictly prohibited knowing also the fact that the issue regarding this was already been discussed here in Meta so many times before so there is no excuses for him.

That account should be reported and let the mods hear his alibi (I bet it won't be valid ). But if ever this is not a bought account then he still did a mistake and liable of what he did.