[Poll] Question concerning: ChipMixer applicants on 2020w3

[Timelord2067]

I had/have a question for tranthidung in his Reputation thread ChipMixer applicants on 2020w3 (19Jan2020) concerning the methodology he used when comparing merit recipients.

Given that by the time I got home tranthidung has locked his reputation thread, I will start a cut down version of my question and post it in the version of a poll (which is essentially an expansion of the feedback I was hoping to receive from the thread)


Which merit recipient has a better post?

• Post A receiving just one person giving the post ten merits?
• Post B receiving ten persons giving one merit each?
• Somewhere between answer one and two?
• Neither - a different answer is required
• None of the above.

Given this is a cut down version of a longer post that I intended to make, I just want to also ask how different would your selections be if you had employed the methodology of number of actual times merit were received Vs number of merits received (given said merits were given fewer times)


This thread was started in the Reputation section concerning a thread in the reputation section...  It will be interesting to see if this thread also "mysteriously" moves sections (or vanishes)

[PrimeNumber7]

I would personally say that a post with more unique merit senders is more desirable from the perspective of a potential advertiser. This is based on your specific question, and the more desirable post may change if the total number of merit received changes, for example a post receiving 15 merit from 7 people might be more valuable than either of your choices.

Post quality/desirability is not the only factor that determines merit received by a user. The sections where a person frequently posts compared to sections that merit sources often read also will play a role in how much merit someone receives.

If someone is running a large campaign such as ChipMixer, they may want to consider factors such as engagement (quotes of posts), or sections a person frequently posts in compared to the rest of the campaign. 

[Timelord2067]

...

A part of what has prompted me to ask (and this is no finger pointing at any one person) I have seen some merit sources giving four, seven ... even on one rare occasion fifty merits because they can and if they didn't then they would be wasted when their merit font replenished.

I was a little limited in how I could phrase the question/answers for a poll without it getting too bogged down in "if/then" scenarios in the choices of answers.

In your 15 from 7 senario, I would place your answer in the option three: "Somewhere between answer one and two." answer.


I've never participated in a signature campaign ever and this aspect of the motivation of merit (source) givers is a new aspect to me. (and before anyone asks, I do not want to become a merit source thank-you very much)

[figmentofmyass]

I would personally say that a post with more unique merit senders is more desirable from the perspective of a potential advertiser.

either this, or "none of the above".

merit operates as a badge of reputability to some extent. chipmixer would naturally want posters with a high amount of earned merit for that reason. if that's the focus, then it doesn't really matter how they're earned exactly.

[Timelord2067]

...

Possibly, but from the analysis presented by tranthidung (if I'm reading the data correctly) their emphasis is placed on one person receiving ten merits, which is why I am curious if their results would be skewered in a different direction if the ten persons giving one merit each option were chosen.

[HCP]

I had/have a question for tranthidung in his Reputation thread ChipMixer applicants on 2020w3 (19Jan2020) concerning the methodology he used when comparing merit recipients.

Did you consider using PM and asking tranthidung your question directly?

Or are you actually more interested in what the various members of the community have to say about it?

Personally, I don't think this is the sort of thing that can be lumped into such narrowly defined "boxes"... You're dealing with a very subjective matter; "Post Quality".

Simply looking at "raw numbers" isn't terribly useful and to be honest, I tend to ignore all the statistical analysis threads.

The entire premise of judging a post purely on it's received merits fails when you have to consider things like:
- What is the 'normal' amount of merit for a 'good' post? 1?, 2?, 10?, 50?
- What if the person who left 1 merit, only had 1 merit to give but wanted to give more?
- What if the person who left 1 merit, had 100 merit to give, but thought it only deserved 1?
- or to put it another way, is 1 merit worth more from someone who only has 1, as opposed to 1 from a merit source who has essentially unlimited?
- do users even put a value on their merit?
- do merit sources put a value on their merit?
- if a user has a limited number of merits and sees a "merit worthy" post that has already received a number of merits, will they save their merits to give to someone else?

I see posts every day that have been sprayed liberally with merits (the thread in question is a good example)... And I think, why?

Personally, I don't think it's even worth 1. Sure the OP put some work in, but is it useful or helpful for the board/community? I don't think so.

So, simply trying to work out if a post is "good" or not based on the merits it has received is an exercise in futility.