Does inactive users deserve merits?

[Vaculin]

Merits are given to those deserving posts, regardless if those posts were made long time ago, even if those posters are inactive already at the time of meriting. This is from my own point of view. However, you are the one to give merits so you should be the one to decide if you stick to the post itself or just find another post wherein it’s poster is still active until present.

Merits are vital for a position to level up, so it might only be a waste if you give it to those who are no longer active in posting, while those who are still doing their part in the forum sharing their own insights are patiently waiting for their posts to receive merits.

[Agbe]

If the account is inactive but it is not ban then it needs to be merited but if the account is banned and the post is good, I don't think it is good to merit that account because it is just like waste of merits. And normally merits have to be circulated and those accounts can not send back the smerits to other people people who need merits. And Merit should be given to active account and not inactive accounts. And as I said again if the account is not ban and you like the information then you can merit it.

[bbigtart]

There have been some good and quality posts that I've come across why navigating through the forum and I found out that some of the users have been inactive for a very long time but the posts they've made deserved merit, so is it advisable to merit the post(s) of a user(s) that have been inactive for a long interval of time considering the fact that they made Meritable posts?

In my opinion, it has nothing to do with whether he is active or not, a reader will definitely be rewarded if the reader gets new knowledge from his posts. I also find a lot of old posts from accounts that are no longer active but still get Merits from other members because the quality of the posts or Theared is very useful for readers.

This is the same as the saying "A tiger dies leaving behind stripes, an elephant dies leaving behind tusks, a human dies leaving behind a name." The meaning of this saying is that every member who is no longer active will definitely be remembered according to his posts on this forum. If he leaves this forum with posts that provide benefits to readers, the account can still get Merits.

[BitcoinPanther]

There have been some good and quality posts that I've come across why navigating through the forum and I found out that some of the users have been inactive for a very long time but the posts they've made deserved merit, so is it advisable to merit the post(s) of a user(s) that have been inactive for a long interval of time considering the fact that they made Meritable posts?

As far as I know merits can be given to anyone regardless of them being active or not.  It is up to the person whether he will give the post merit or not and nothing can contest it.  So if you think the post deserve a merit then why not give it a merit?  After all it is your own smerit that you are giving and not others.

Remember people don't just give merit because it is a quality post, other gives merit because the post align with their belief and/or happy about the post, reason why sometimes we see some people meriting applications.

[Churchillvv]

I know merits are rewards for good post as others have said but it's solely a personal decision, if you think you have smerits that you feel it's good to reward any post whether they are inactive or active accounts it's totally your decision.

But from perspective it's probably not wise to merit an account that has been inactive for decades as you said because they clearly do not need it. So why waste your sendables on those accounts while there are so many people out there trying their best with good post too that deserves merit.

Once again its your personal decision, you should do what you like.

[Ever-young]

There have been some good and quality posts that I've come across why navigating through the forum and I found out that some of the users have been inactive for a very long time but the posts they've made deserved merit, so is it advisable to merit the post(s) of a user(s) that have been inactive for a long interval of time considering the fact that they made Meritable posts?

Not just in active accounts even ban accounts are receiving merits for there good contribution in the forum, so if you have merit to give out you can gift any good post you fine around that’s the best you can do to appreciate those post.

If you check out Satoshi account in this forum which have been inactive over the years it still receives merit for the old posts which was made before he left the forum, so there is no harm in trying to appreciate a post just gift them if they are worth your merit.

[Distinctin]

There have been some good and quality posts that I've come across why navigating through the forum and I found out that some of the users have been inactive for a very long time but the posts they've made deserved merit, so is it advisable to merit the post(s) of a user(s) that have been inactive for a long interval of time considering the fact that they made Meritable posts?

I dont think the period of hybernation is important or matter when someone posted a good one. The readers dont often check first whether he is active or not but just actually reading the post they wanna merit. Am I right with the assumption? Of course we cant deny that some are probably bought account that suddenly become alive but who knows they just rest for a while and come back now.

You are right there, mate. We don't check the inactiveness of the person who posted it but it's only the content of the post that matters. If it's a valuable post, then meriting it would be the best option, no if's and but's.
But if meriting for you would mean also the availability of the owner itself, I guess that's also your own perspective and we can't control you for that.

However for me, I'm fine meriting the post even if the user is not existing anymore. Merits should be given to those who deserve it and should not be only kept to myself.

[nakamura12]

It's not about being active or inactive because if the post is good then that deserves a merit even though the one who posted it is not active or inactive as you have said. There's no criteria for giving merits that an account must be active before you get merited and even an account that is already inactive even got an airdropped merits although it is different from the merits received through other forum members because it is received through posting good/high quality posts.

[libert19]

Merit is for post, so I'd suggest so.

Some people filter quality posts by looking at merit received by post, so you giving merit helps post with visibility, which it should get if it's helpful.

Aside from that, look at Laszlo's pizza post or Satoshi's posts, you could argue why their posts have merits despite the fact that they have been inactive for so long, it's so because those are historical posts and merit given is for their contributions to the Bitcoin ecosystem and forum.

[pinggoki]

They've already said that it's about the quality of the post and the contribution or impact that it's got on the forum as a whole so it puzzles me that some posts of Satoshi's that's not technical or even that relevant (anymore) is getting merits like this one. I'm not hating on it though, other users that are active quality posters could've get that and used it to increase their merits but I guess I'm being unfair as giving merit to Satoshi's post is a pilgrimage of some sort for everyone here on the forum.

[Cryptoprincess101]

But from perspective it's probably not wise to merit an account that has been inactive for decades as you said because they clearly do not need it. So why waste your sendables on those accounts while there are so many people out there trying their best with good post too that deserves merit.

I quite agree with you though I know that awarding merit to quality posts of users regardless of whether they are active or inactive is a way of showing regards for their quality contributions to the forum but I think those profiles doesn't really need much merit anymore because each merit comes with a sendable merits that can be transferred to another quality post of a user in the forum so a situation whereby we keep meriting inactive or rather Banned profiles it's probably a kind of allowing those sendable merits those users have got decaying and becoming useless.

[Tmoonz]

There is no sticky rule, but yesterday I gave @aantonop some merits even though I know he may not return, but he may come back one day and see that some people sent him some merits and decide to continue posting here.

I certainly agree with you and on a more reasonable note considerations need to be made as per how long the account has been inactive, the possibilities of the account to become active, if this can not be validated, then post of the user that has added so much to you shouldn't be forgotten in a hurry by making use of it in quote where necessary, well as for meritng the inactive user is totally your decision.

[wallet4bitcoin]

Merit is to be issued to users of the forum who make contributions to the forum.

If we disect this statement then it is almost impossible to say that one is inactive cos he has his footprints in the forum, as long as he has activity or posts that contributes to the forum then he deserves to earn merits.

His activity is in the value of contribution not about activity, cos, you can only award merit to a post made and not just throw it into a profile.

Let merit be issued based on value and we wouldn't be talking about activity. If someone for some health reason or something decides to sign out of the forum for a week, month or even a year, it changes nothing in his ability to earn merit.

Its just like asking if we should be issuing "Post Humorous Awards" since the awardees aren't alive, should we then deny their inputs in the cause of humanity? NO.

[Jatiluhung]

There have been some good and quality posts that I've come across why navigating through the forum and I found out that some of the users have been inactive for a very long time but the posts they've made deserved merit, so is it advisable to merit the post(s) of a user(s) that have been inactive for a long interval of time considering the fact that they made Meritable posts?

I will send Merit to posts that I consider very useful for myself when I read them. It doesn't matter if it's an old post and the user is no longer active. Because I'm just showing everyone that I appreciate the writing. And when the user wakes up from his long sleep, he will realize that his writing has been useful for many people. Well Merit can also be an indicator that a piece of writing is considered quality by the person giving the Merit. And it can be a motivation for beginners that if they have writing of the same quality then they will also get a Merit award for their posts.

But maybe other people can have a different opinion. But for me, appreciation must still be given to everything that is worthy of appreciation. It doesn't matter who he is and whether he is still active or not. Like we give Merit to the legendary posts in this forum. Like Satoshi and Hal Finney's posts. And also a post about pizza bought with bitcoin which is the history of the first purchase with bitcoin. and other.

[moneystery]

if the post helps other users, it's okay to give merit to them regardless of whether the user is active or no longer active. but i think it's better to pay more attention to other users who have quality posts and are also active in the forum, because that will help them to build their accounts and encourage them to make better contributions to the forum.

[Beparanf]

if the post helps other users, it's okay to give merit to them regardless of whether the user is active or no longer active. but i think it's better to pay more attention to other users who have quality posts and are also active in the forum, because that will help them to build their accounts and encourage them to make better contributions to the forum.

This suggestion is indeed good for merit sources so that there will be a circulation of merit through active user but for regular forum member that browsing the forum for the content that they want then being inactive or active of the poster doesn’t matter as long as the post is helpful for the user that will give merits.

We are not a regular sender of merit so that occasional 1 merit will not gonna hurt if send to inactive user because they deserve. Their contribution is still counted even if they are offline so there’s no way for their post to become invalid recipient of merit.

[Cricktor]

I've thought about my first reply in this topic again. My stance to give merit is still mainly to flag/honor valuable posts so that they stand out. Yes, merit also honors the author, but I wouldn't care so much or investigate prior if the author is still active or inactive.

What made me do some rethinking is that I'm somewhat biased if the post's author is a banned user or someone who constantly annoys me with his posting style or content (I put those on my ignore list) even if such users manage to post something worthy. I don't know and admit that in such circumstances I likely might divert from my main merit giving stance as I'm usually low on sMerits, I don't hoard them, so I've to prioritize here and there.
When I give merits I sometimes prioritize users in lower ranks over those who are already Legendary and have already a large amount of merits. I also take a user's ratio of posts vs. received merits into consideration, if I have to make a choice whose contribution to merit due to a low amount of sMerits left to distribute.


Edit:
It seems perception and reality don't match to which ranks I send my sMerits:

Legendary	_	66.43%
Hero Member	_	14.45%
Sr. Member	_	5.36%
Full Member	_	5.36%
JMember	_	1.63%
Jr. Member	_	1.17%
Newbie	_	5.59%

[KingsDen]

There have been some good and quality posts that I've come across why navigating through the forum and I found out that some of the users have been inactive for a very long time but the posts they've made deserved merit, so is it advisable to merit the post(s) of a user(s) that have been inactive for a long interval of time considering the fact that they made Meritable posts?

It is the post that deserves merit;
It is not person or reputation of the person behind the account;
It doesn't matter how long the post is...I am yet to merit the population "I AM HODLING" post, but I'll still do that;
You can even send merits to a post more than once;
It is better to send 50 merits to a quality post than to sent 50 merits to 50 non quality posts;
Maybe I can bookmark a post I feel that I feel haven't received enough merits and will return after many months to merit same post.

[Viscore]

Merits are meant to be spent, not to be kept forever. If you find something that creates a huge impact on your part, and maybe for other members as well, then merit the post and acknowledge the value of that certain post regardless if the owner itself is already an inactive user or not. The users do not matter to us since we don’t have the control over them but when it comes to high quality posts, it certainly has a great effect on us most particularly for newbies who really need a lot of them.

However, it still relies to the owner itself if he is kind enough to give his merits. But nevertheless, once you earned merits, you should give it back so that others will benefit as well.

[Coyster]

Merit is to be issued to users of the forum who make contributions to the forum.

Merits are not "issued" per se (except to MS's), before you earn merits another user must have read your post and had the impression that this post is worthy of their merits, you could be making contributions (in your own way), and still not earn too many merits, maybe because MS's do not visit where you make your posts or for some other reasons.

Having said that, as regards either meriting inactive accounts or not, i'd say it is subjective, some people might not want to, whilst others see nothing wrong in it. The Smerit belong to the users, thus they should spend it how they think is appropriate, because there would never be a hard and fast rule on things like these.