In IT and other sectors, large corporations tend to have career paths that can be both vertical and horizontal. The vertical paths are those through which you climb through the ranks (often with a change of functionality in the process, but let´s ignore this part – it screws my analogy). The horizontal path allows you to develop a career without progressing in functional rank, but whereby you grow in knowledge and possibly in specialization (it´s really a bit more complex, since there are possible verticalities within the horizontalities, but again, let’s forget them).
Ranks here have their perks, but let’s be clear, the higher ranks are not within many people’s reach, nor will they. The Merit System has changed the game, and as a lateral effect to reducing spam, the vertical rank ascension has become much more difficult to follow.
There are also plenty of people who do not really care much for ranks (I’d say that specially around the technical areas of the forum), and those that see it as a game, a challenge, a reputation enhancer, a business booster, a money maker, or whatever.
As in the vertical ranks describes in my opening, there are going to be people concentrated on that, using whatever tactics they consider, or exploiting their personal strong points. But there’s also the vertical path, whereby rank is not important (at least having surpassed the lower ranks), and helping around, gaining knowledge, participating in debates and projects, and so forth, is another potential focus for many.
Ok, the vast majority of accounts are happy with one vertical jump to become Jr. Member, and then staying there bounty hunting, with no horizontal progression either, but it does not mean that the option is not there, as a form "what’s next" when you can’t/don’t want to rank-up.
It’s all an entangled mix of capabilities and interest, and with that, one moves along the vertical and horizontal axis in accordance to the time they can set aside, their own limits (we are limited after all), and what acts as their core driver of interest.
I got your point—I may not know if I really understand all of it—but I agree with it. I wasn't really into ranks, I've read somewhere here that if you would focus your work here, what would you do if you just lost your account here, can you say that your a high ranker in a bitcoin forum. Is that a career, I'm not sure too. I realized that aside from ranks, you really have to learn, to be better as a person. I'm interested in crypto and bitcoin, and as a freelance writer myself, I don't focus my interest in being here for ranks, I focus on what I can really get from knowledgeable users here, so I can write accurate article post about the crypto community..
Just sad that this forum is swarming with users who are into ranks, that they forgot to grow not just their rank but their self/career too. I just hope that no one really fails to recall the truth that we are all here to learn more about this technology, and to create a community circling about cryptocurrency, not just because of ranks and etc. And I agree too that there are other users here for their service and such, that's really good with me, cause they are offering their talent.
So if someone is asking what to do after ranking up, try to assess if you deserve the rank, and try to think of ways how could you help other people here, not to achieve a certain rank, but to learn more about this technology.
