Monthly merit source transparency reports

[Comeacross]

This is just a proposal 

I normally come across posts complaining about merit from new users. Some of them are finding it difficult to understand what makes a post merit worthy on the forum.

Merit source are volunteers doing ton of work already but for new users and some regular users too, the system feel a bit like a black box. You post something you think is good but get 0 merit while someone post some few lines and gets several merits.

So I'm thinking, what if merit source posted a monthly transparency report?

I know merit sources are not public to avoid begging but majority of them are known already. This would not be mandatory (for the sake of some that want to remain anonymous) but encouraged for accountability and community trust.

A short post once in a month is enough highlighting the number of merits distributed, breakdown by boards, nominate posts for other sources if you run out of your allocation, challenges encounter or reason why you didn't finish your allocation.

A separate thread can be created for this or merit dashboard by DdmrDdmr should be use for the report.

This report will shows how merit is being distributed based on quality and not favor as some time claimed. New users will know what merit worthy posts look like instead of just guessing that contribute to spam.

I see extra work for merit sources here keeping tracks of all all posts merited in a month. So I don't know if someone has a better idea on how to make the system more understandable going forward.

[_act_]

There is no need for merit source to do monthly report of the merits they sent, everyone on the forum can all see the users that merit sources are sending merits to and also you can see the posts and the number of merits sent to the users posts. I consider this as something that is not absolutely worth it at all.

I normally come across posts complaining about merit from new users. Some of them are finding it difficult to understand what makes a post merit worthy on the forum.

Merit source reports are not a solution to this, it is users of this forum that need to be smart and useful.

[Stalker22]

~
I see extra work for merit sources here keeping tracks of all all posts merited in a month. So I don't know if someone has a better idea on how to make the system more understandable going forward.

As you said yourself, most of the merit sources are publicly known already, so I dont see what the purpose of this would be?  The merit distribution of each individual member of the forum is public and can be viewed on different channels.  On the forum itself through the profile page, bitlist.co archives, bpip.org, Merit Dashboard by DdmrDdmr...  The data is already completely out in the open for anyone who cares to look.

If a newbie wants to know what a merit-worthy post looks like, tthey just need to click on the "Most Merited Posts" tab on the dashboard you literally just mentioned.  The examples are right there.

[libert19]

Some of them are finding it difficult to understand what makes a post merit worthy on the forum.

I mean, I find it hard to believe why some posts receive good number of merits too. Look at this example: Click me! (Got 'em, if you were expecting somebody else).

So I'm thinking, what if merit source posted a monthly transparency report?

Too much work, brother. But, feel free to check merit source profiles. Wouldn't it be conveying the same thing?

I know merit sources are not public to avoid begging but majority of them are known already.

Oh are they not? I just learned from you.

A short post once in a month is enough highlighting the number of merits distributed, breakdown by boards, nominate posts for other sources if you run out of your allocation, challenges encounter or reason why you didn't finish your allocation.

Now, that's deffo too much work.

This report will shows how merit is being distributed based on quality and not favor as some time claimed. New users will know what merit worthy posts look like instead of just guessing that contribute to spam.

Quality is completely subjective and merit distribution isn't often about quality in first place either, and lol, at 'posting merit worthy posts' — just post when and where you have something to say and leave rest — your forum journey will be effortless.

I see extra work for merit sources here keeping tracks of all all posts merited in a month.

Oh thank you for acknowledgement, you just made my prior statements redundant.

So I don't know if someone has a better idea on how to make the system more understandable going forward.

Personally, I don't think merit source stuff needs improvement, just keep sources shuffling every now and then, that should do.

[EL MOHA]

A short post once in a month is enough highlighting the number of merits distributed, breakdown by boards, nominate posts for other sources if you run out of your allocation, challenges encounter or reason why you didn't finish your allocation.

This simply means you want all merit sources to actually give accounts to how they spend their merits I think this will be easily implemented if at all they are paid to be merit sources because that’s when you demand accounting but they don’t get paid to do the job so I don’t think the administrator will ask for such accounting and the fact that it’s also a little tasky thing to do it won’t be done by all sources.

Theymos can actually check most of this metrics and then make changes by himself like he normally does on other categories like DT and if he thinks some deserve change then he will do just that

[Charcol]

This is just a proposal 

I normally come across posts complaining about merit from new users. Some of them are finding it difficult to understand what makes a post merit worthy on the forum.

Merit source are volunteers doing ton of work already but for new users and some regular users too, the system feel a bit like a black box. You post something you think is good but get 0 merit while someone post some few lines and gets several merits.

So I'm thinking, what if merit source posted a monthly transparency report?

I know merit sources are not public to avoid begging but majority of them are known already. This would not be mandatory (for the sake of some that want to remain anonymous) but encouraged for accountability and community trust.

A short post once in a month is enough highlighting the number of merits distributed, breakdown by boards, nominate posts for other sources if you run out of your allocation, challenges encounter or reason why you didn't finish your allocation.

A separate thread can be created for this or merit dashboard by DdmrDdmr should be use for the report.

This report will shows how merit is being distributed based on quality and not favor as some time claimed. New users will know what merit worthy posts look like instead of just guessing that contribute to spam.

I see extra work for merit sources here keeping tracks of all all posts merited in a month. So I don't know if someone has a better idea on how to make the system more understandable going forward.

The Merit system is not completely invisible. It is public where and from whom the Merit was received. If you want, you can see from the Merit Dashboard who has distributed whom, how much merit on which board. So, rewriting and publishing the same information will actually put more unnecessary extra work on the Merit sources. Again, if it is more clear who the source is, their pm will be filled with unnecessary spam.

Anyway, the way it is going now, I think it is okay.

[FinneysTrueVision]

The merit system is very simple, I wouldn’t call it a black box. Sources give merit to posts that in their judgement stand out as being good quality or that deserve to be highlighted.

There is only a need for accountability if they are abusing their position, in which case the forum administration should handle it. Regular users aren’t entitled to any explanation for how somebody decides to use their merit.

[AakZaki]

A short post once in a month is enough highlighting the number of merits distributed, breakdown by boards, nominate posts for other sources if you run out of your allocation, challenges encounter or reason why you didn't finish your allocation.

I will ask you the same question, in the last few months you have earned 105 Merits or a total of 111 Merits, then why have you only submitted 5 Merits so far? According to a calculation of the sMerit that you currently have, there are still about 50 sMerit left.

Then why are you hoarding it?
Didn't you find a decent post from the beginner you mentioned? Or do you deliberately want your sMerit to continue to grow like chicken eggs?

You talk about the distribution of merit while you yourself hoard it.
The merit distribution is not only from the source of merit that you need to highlight, it should also be from people like you. Remember there's no point in letting sMerit expire.

[libert19]

Remember there's no point in letting sMerit expire.

Does it for expire for normal users?

[Ambatman]

So I'm thinking, what if merit source posted a monthly transparency report?

They are not been paid to be posting report on hoe they shared their smerit
Not to mention
Checking merit log is public so there's no need for this

A short post once in a month is enough highlighting the number of merits distributed, breakdown by boards, nominate posts for other sources if you run out of your allocation, challenges encounter or reason why you didn't finish your allocation.

Lol so much work for something a person volunteered for.

how to make the system more understandable going

You can always read the pinned threads on every board for better understanding.

Does it for expire for normal users?

I doubt it does
I have seen old users comeback and still send merit from their previous

sMerits don’t decay to date. The warning shown when sending them is meant to incentivise people to move them into circulation, but not even the airdropped sMerits given to accounts when the Merit System kicked-off during January 2018 have decayed in any manner (those would be my first candidates to do so in the event of pondering sMerit decay).

[Mitchell]

reason why you didn't finish your allocation.

I didn't feel like it / I didn't see anything of worth would be my answer.

[rat03gopoh]

What kind of column will be there, the reason for the award? Some merit sources have quoted some of their criteria posts in their respective proposal threads. Merit complainers should be able to deduce what kind of posts sMeriters expect.

Besides, how many low-ranking users (complainers) would care about such report? If they just need tips on creating constructive posts, direct them to the beginner section. There are plenty of such threads there.

[The Cryptovator]

So I'm thinking, what if merit source posted a monthly transparency report?

I see extra work for merit sources here keeping tracks of all all posts merited in a month. So I don't know if someone has a better idea on how to make the system more understandable going forward.

Why do merit sources need extra time to submit their reports? We are already spending time evaluating posts and rating them. At least for me, my merits aren't dying; somehow I want to spend my monthly allocations. Also, I don't want to waste them on spam posts. This won't be an ideal solution for fair merit distribution. Rather, users should learn and contribute to the forum. Newbies with zero knowledge about crypto and the forum won't gain merits here. They have to develop themselves; there are a lot of examples of how new users reach Legendary ranks.

[Zoomic]

As I read the title, I thought the author will suggest only to make merit sources smerit allocation public, so that we can know the allocation of every merit source and understand if they are able to spend all, thereby knowing whether to increase or reduce the source supply. But that will be an exclusive duty of theymos.

reason why you didn't finish your allocation.

I didn't feel like it / I didn't see anything of worth would be my answer.

lol, as a merit source, the reason I couldn't exhaust my supply is because I didn't see quality posts  

[vapourminer]

reason why you didn't finish your allocation.

i spent too much time reading why us merit sources suck

[Alvin_talk]

I think some users exeggerate the duty of apointed merit sources that they over-look the fact we are all suppose to participate in merit distribution provided that we have the smerit to do so. Note that merit sources are not solely responsible for recognising and meriting good post, they are VOLUNTEERS who put extra effort and time to reward quality post by means of the Smerit allocated to them. Every user in this forum is obliged to spend their Smerit that is why it is allocated to you in the first place, please don't wait for them so long as you have the Smerit to act.

Also, I'd say you implement your proposal first by creating your own merit report so others can follow, don't be a hypocrite. Its alarming that most of us hoard our smerit and somehow end up wanting to know how others spent theirs or who is circling and who is not. To sum it up, this idea is unnecessary and time consuming for the volunteers (merit sources).

[The Sceptical Chymist]

I've been a merit source for years, did not even apply for the position (but dammit, I'm still thankful for getting tapped by Theymos), and have been suffering from what I'd have to describe as burnout for a while now--especially since nowadays I can't even be sure if what I perceive as decent posts were even made by human beings' brains and not through some AI program.  

The merit system might seem like a black box for a certain percentage of the forum's members, but I mean c'mon.  There is so much information and general discussion about merits and how to earn them and everything else that those members really should be doing more reading and less worrying about ranking up.

Because we all know damn well why ranking up is so important.  The reason is the same today as it was a decade ago.  In any case, merit sources aren't paid; they're all different with different criteria for handing out merits; and there are only 86 of us trying to spread out merits far and wide.  If you make a really good post and it doesn't earn you a single merit, well, don't be surprised.  We can't be everywhere all the time.

I will ask you the same question, in the last few months you have earned 105 Merits or a total of 111 Merits, then why have you only submitted 5 Merits so far? According to a calculation of the sMerit that you currently have, there are still about 50 sMerit left.

Then why are you hoarding it?
Didn't you find a decent post from the beginner you mentioned? Or do you deliberately want your sMerit to continue to grow like chicken eggs?

Sock it to him, AakZaki.  86 merit sources for how many forum members?  Non-merit sources who've got sMerits and don't care only about themselves should be walking the walk instead of whining, raging, and all that crap. 

Oh wait.  Most of those members who complain about not getting merits don't read anything much less care if they help someone else rank up.

[libert19]

Does it for expire for normal users?

I doubt it does
I have seen old users comeback and still send merit from their previous

sMerits don’t decay to date. The warning shown when sending them is meant to incentivise people to move them into circulation, but not even the airdropped sMerits given to accounts when the Merit System kicked-off during January 2018 have decayed in any manner (those would be my first candidates to do so in the event of pondering sMerit decay).

I was given 100 airdropped merits, don't think I was given 50 sMerits though.

Newbies with zero knowledge about crypto and the forum won't gain merits here.

I am pretty sure you can. Plus, knowledge is built with acquaintance and since this is crypto forum, just by being active, user will absorb automatically.

[Don Pedro Dinero]

As I see it, I’m only accountable to theymos, so I won’t be producing monthly reports.

As I was appointed a merit source for my local board, there is a thread where I sometimes comment on the merits given and people can ask me there.

What I do first in the day when I log in is to go to my local board, see if there are posts meritable there, then go to the rest of the forum and give other merits. 

If, at the end of the month, I find I have quite a few merits left over, I try to find a lower ranked member who's lacking some merits for the next level, review their posts and if I see they deserve it, I send them all the merits they need to rank up.

That's what I do. There is no point in a monthly explanation.

[LoyceV]

the system feel a bit like a black box. You post something you think is good but get 0 merit while someone post some few lines and gets several merits.

Many users actually believe they write good posts, while I like to call it "generic shitposts".

So I'm thinking, what if merit source posted a monthly transparency report?
~ highlighting the number of merits distributed, breakdown by boards

This is all you need: merit.all.txt. Feel free to create any breakdown you want.

New users will know what merit worthy posts look like instead of just guessing that contribute to spam.

Trying to "mimic good posts" doesn't lead to good posts. It's so obvious when someone's only posting to earn Merit.

I see extra work for merit sources

I'll pass. This isn't school, nor a paid job.

You talk about the distribution of merit while you yourself hoard it.

Lol.