[Solve]Theymos, can you solve the mystery? newbies with 2 merit watering avatar?

[Harkorede]

The copper membership allows those users to have an avatar. It should be a feature who come with the rising price of that membership. 0.0065 BTC isn't a bad price at all, but maybe the CM thread should be updated because it doesn't mention the Avatar.

I highly doubt this is true, we would already be seeing dozens of Newbies carrying those avatars and with such a change even though it seems minor, Theymos couldn't have forgotten to include this information alongside the price change announcement... but then again I could be wrong.

You're not wrong, He just didn't bother to read previous responses. I already said it's like not a new feature, I could tell since I'm Copper Member privileged and I'm sure one of those users didn't just pay for CM recently.

It is most likely not a recent bug looking at those users profile, maybe no one paid attention to it.
According to this post https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5058163.msg47860162#msg47860162 it shows that "alanst" has paid his Copper membership over 2months ago.

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[owlcatz]

What if he was full member at some point, then deleted all his post history until demoted to newbie? 

[Cashi]

What if he was full member at some point, then deleted all his post history until demoted to newbie? 

I think it's impossible to delete Merits (he needs 100 to be Full Member). Received Merits will stay, no matter if airdropped for a rank he had before or if he had earned them for good posts, even if the post is deleted or the entire thread trashed.

[TryNinja]

What if he was full member at some point, then deleted all his post history until demoted to newbie?  

I think it's impossible to delete Merits (he needs 100 to be Full Member). Received Merits will stay, no matter if airdropped for a rank he had before or if he had earned them for good posts, even if the post is deleted or the entire thread trashed.

What if he did that before merit was implemented in the forum?

1. Become Full Member with your activity points (before merit);
2. Set an avatar;
3. Delete post history;
4. Back to Newbie but avatar stays;
5. Merit introduced, didn’t get the airdropped merits because isn’t ranked anymore.

Edit: nvm, user was registered after merit was implemented. The mistery continues.

[MadZ]

This is purely speculation, but perhaps this is a hidden reward for reporting good posts?

alanst (the other Newbie with an avatar) has 500+ good reports and 3dOOm responded to a thread regarding a usercript to make reporting posts easier. I guess a mod/admin would need to confirm this, though.

[Cashi]

What if he did that before merit was implemented in the forum?

1. Become Full Member with your activity points (before merit);
2. Set an avatar;
3. Delete post history;
4. Back to Newbie but avatar stays;
5. Merit introduced, didn’t get the airdropped merits because isn’t ranked anymore.

Edit: nvm, user was registered after merit was implemented. The mistery continues.

Here is another user wearing an Avatar but his registration date is also after the new Merit requirements were launched: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=2243418 (Registration date: June 28, 2018, 01:57:26 PM)

When he posted there, he had only a few posts, but already 575 reported posts: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5058163.msg47705602#msg47705602

I don't know how he dealt with the cool down period after each report, but it seems like we have some special Copper Member accounts around (he's also a Copper Member)

[LTU_btc]

This is purely speculation, but perhaps this is a hidden reward for reporting good posts?

alanst (the other Newbie with an avatar) has 500+ good reports and 3dOOm responded to a thread regarding a usercript to make reporting posts easier. I guess a mod/admin would need to confirm this, though.

I also thought that it can be reward for making lot of good reports. But if yes, it's strange that this thing are kept in secret without information in public.
Probably only theymos can answer question about this mistery, we have to wait response from him.

[greenlanternlight01]

I think it's because of the new fee changes in copper member which enables newbie to add avatar. My assumption only.

Just checked, I've 2 merit and I'm wearing the copper membership and I can't add avatar

[khaled0111]

So we have two low ranked accounts with avatars which is logically impossible since they both joined after the merit system has been introduced.
Also LoyceV noticed this:

Do you have any idea why your profile says you have 0 posts, and your post history shows 3 posts? It seems to be a glitch in the forum software.

From their post history, we may presume they know a lot about forum rules and they fight spammers so why 3dOOm would reply with a "shitpost" like this one to Cyrus thread?

Also:
-alanst sent only two merits, one to Cyrus and another to 3dOOm.
-3dOOm received only two merits, one from alanst and one from Cyrus.
-3dOOm received his two merits for a post in the Romanian local board.

[MadZ]

So we have two low ranked accounts with avatars which is logically impossible since they both joined after the merit system has been introduced.
Also LoyceV noticed this:

Do you have any idea why your profile says you have 0 posts, and your post history shows 3 posts? It seems to be a glitch in the forum software.

From their post history, we understand they know a lot about forum rules and they fight spammers so why 3dOOm would post a shitpost like this one?

Also:
-alanst sent only two merits, one to Cyrus and another to 3dOOm.
-3dOOm received only two merits, one from alanst and one from Cyrus.
-3dOOm received his two merits for a post in the Romanian local board.

I’m assuming that shitpost is just sarcasm, referring to how easy this script makes it to report the idiots who post that in every thread.

[S_Therapist]

This is purely speculation, but perhaps this is a hidden reward for reporting good posts?

alanst (the other Newbie with an avatar) has 500+ good reports and 3dOOm responded to a thread regarding a usercript to make reporting posts easier. I guess a mod/admin would need to confirm this, though.

I also thought that it can be reward for making lot of good reports. But if yes, it's strange that this thing are kept in secret without information in public.
Probably only theymos can answer question about this mistery, we have to wait response from him.

I don't think so. It is in no way can be a reward, imo. Either it's a bug in the system or they are controlled by admin panel. I think I have somewhere read about the case alanst previously. Can't be sure where it is.
It's still a mystery. Expecting @LoyceV to come here and find us the truth behind this.

[Ispep]

Just checked, I've 2 merit and I'm wearing the copper membership and I can't add avatar

Copper members aren't allowed to wear avatars,they are bypassed some restrictions,they are allowed to post images and upload signatures but not to put on avatars which is exclusively for full members and above,which is why the OP is a strange one to say the least as the user was registered after the merit system,where the changes to the system were made.
So debunk the idea of trying to put on an avatar.
 think an admin should come and clarify us on this issue

[owlcatz]

Just checked, I've 2 merit and I'm wearing the copper membership and I can't add avatar

Copper members aren't allowed to wear avatars,they are bypassed some restrictions,they are allowed to post images and upload signatures but not to put on avatars which is exclusively for full members and above,which is why the OP is a strange one to say the least as the user was registered after the merit system,where the changes to the system were made.
So debunk the idea of trying to put on an avatar.
 think an admin should come and clarify us on this issue

Just curious... How would you even know this?

I smell account farming lol...

[lobcmt2]

What if he was full member at some point, then deleted all his post history until demoted to newbie?  

Merits are un-destroyable, till now.
Hence, your assumption is wrong.
If that guy was a Full member, the account should have at least 100 merits, even when all post deleted and demoted to newbie.

[S_Therapist]

Just curious... How would you even know this?

I smell account farming lol...

It is mentioned in the ANN thread. People who spend most of their time in meta, face this kind of threads thousand of times. How come you don't know about this?
Smell account trading, lol.

[manfredmann]

The copper membership allows those users to have an avatar. It should be a feature who come with the rising price of that membership. 0.0065 BTC isn't a bad price at all, but maybe the CM thread should be updated because it doesn't mention the Avatar.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=credit;promote

   Copper - 0.00675676 BTC: Allows you to post images even if you are a newbie, reduces the time-between-actions limit, and provides some of the same benefits as being of natural Member rank.

Oh that is good for sure. If it is really inclusion of the copper membership then I guess I should avail that membership. This the only thing I want also in my account to have an avatar below my name. I envy with the higher ranks to which they could wear it. Since merit system hinders every users here in the forum to reach directly the FM rank then it would be an uphill or even will just be a dream to rank up to FM that allows to wear an avatar.

It will be fair for now if this is really an inclusion. Ranking system create a caste system here in the forum and for me it is not fair as a bounty hunter that we work the same, posts a number of posts required by the bounty manager but will get paid not equal in terms to the higher in rank. I should hope that there is a consideration for this and that is to be fair to all bounty hunters without the ranking considerations payment scheme. It is really not fair! Just Saying!

[r1s2g3]

Theymos, can you solve the mystery? newbie with 2 merit watering  wearing avatar?

Title need little correction.
I guess this is not the first time that we  saw some thing unexplained for user alanst.

We have one more open question about that user.

Who can move and lock topics? Patrollers?

[TryNinja]

Just checked, I've 2 merit and I'm wearing the copper membership and I can't add avatar

Copper members aren't allowed to wear avatars,they are bypassed some restrictions,they are allowed to post images and upload signatures but not to put on avatars which is exclusively for full members and above,which is why the OP is a strange one to say the least as the user was registered after the merit system,where the changes to the system were made.
So debunk the idea of trying to put on an avatar.
 think an admin should come and clarify us on this issue

Just curious... How would you even know this?

I smell account farming lol...

Maybe he read the previous posts? At least that’s what I’ve done.

Meanwhile, half of the posters here still think CM users can wear avatar naturally and they keep saying “wow that’s great”... smh... Read the goddam thread, guys.

[S_Therapist]

Who can move and lock topics? Patrollers?

That make sense. I think those are some new team member of bitcointalk who have been recruited for accounts recovery. theymos saw it definitely , if it was a bug,  he would respond to it.
This is the 3rd time something mysterious with this account. I am 99% sure now that those are members with some special privileges because they are recovering accounts. I am leaving 1% for being ensured from someone officially.

We've streamlined our processes, and Cyrus has put together a team for handling these cases,

They had merited/get merit to/from Cyrus. This also confirm a little more.

[khaled0111]

I think I made it clear in my previous reply that there is no bug in the forum and mods already know about them.
The real question is: if mods don't want regular members to know about the existence of those accounts with special privileges, why they let them wear avatars?

Yes, it's the same as always. Currently there are 3 patrollers and 20 non-patroller local moderators. (I saw someone say elsewhere that all mods have jurisdiction over newbies, but this isn't true.) At some points in the past there have been more patrollers, but that's not necessarily indicative of a shortage.

Maybe we just found 2 of them