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.
If you are not a merit source, try to be wise in distributing your merits, especially if your local board needs them, but no one prevents you from spending them however you want.
Topic: Does inactive users deserve merits? - page 5. (Read 826 times)
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?
Given out merits is not regulated in the forum or any rules being laid down or who you’ll give merit or who not to give merit. Meriting a post is about your personal opinion on how the post have influenced you, by either gaining knowledge or how constructive the user might be in sharing the knowledge to the general public. You can merit any post as long as you feel the need to after finding the content of the post informative enough for it. Some post might look not good to others but if you think it is good and worth it, you can go ahead and merit the user.
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?
Depend on the post, If the post left by those inactive users is good one which totally help a lot of people to know something technical that hard to understand by some newbie then it still deserve to get a merit even if the user is inactive since its like you are appreciating their efforts here in forum when they are active.
But if the post is just totally nonsense then its no brainer that it doesn't deserve to get merit since we can't get any helpful things with that and those people will give a merit will question on why he give a merit to that post while there's no good thing we can see there.
So overall regarding on your question it all matter depend on the contribution so hopefully a lot of users answer your questions here.
Of course, they deserve merits for their quality contribution. Even though people earn merits to rank up and participate in signature campaigns these days, merit was introduced to reduce spam. You could always appreciate it if you see worthy posts. Satoshi had already disappeared when this forum moved to this current domain. Merit systems were introduced way after this. Still, Satoshi's account has earned a lot of merits because of his valuable contribution to the community, to Bitcoin, and its development. This should be an example answer to your question and this thread.
You almost have same reasoning with me because sometimes I use to wonder why giving a merit to a good and quality posts of a user who have been inactive for a long time like close to or over a decade now, like whats the need for? When we know truly well that such a user may have either lost access to the account or may be dead? Like what's the essence
That’s simply because you are not acknowledging the said person but actually the post. Merit is sent to a post you found that helped you it doesn’t matter if the account is inactive, you aren’t sure if they must have lost their password. Smerits are not even money that we will say you are wasting it, although one can limits the amount they send to inactive accounts.
This is actually a good question to bring up, I believe there is nothing wrong in giving merit to a post or thread that is actually giving good impact for the community, even if the Original Poster has been inactive. But there will be a problem when they decided to sell their account, I know it seems out of topic, but I think an inactive have more possibility to sell their account than the active user. And I believe there are some cases where a very reputable member of this forum that has been inactive for sometimes and keep getting merit from their post in those period, and one day they just sell their account.
That still doesn’t change anything you were actually meriting the post and not the person. If the account gets sold later the difference will certainly be clear because the post quality will reduce drastically and if substantial informations are found although it is not against the forum rule the account will get tagged by some members and that actually defeats the purpose why the buyer bought it and also the merit earn will be useless. So nothing much in it.
This is actually a good question to bring up, I believe there is nothing wrong in giving merit to a post or thread that is actually giving good impact for the community, even if the Original Poster has been inactive. But there will be a problem when they decided to sell their account, I know it seems out of topic, but I think an inactive have more possibility to sell their account than the active user. And I believe there are some cases where a very reputable member of this forum that has been inactive for sometimes and keep getting merit from their post in those period, and one day they just sell their account.
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 don't see why not. Users who posted helpful information in the past should still be credited for their contributions, even if they haven't been active recently. Just 'cause someone takes a break doesn't negate the fact that what they shared before was useful and people might still be getting good info from their old posts. Makes sense to me to keep showing them appreciation with merits - keeps things fair for users who gave their time to contribute good stuff here.
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 better to send all your merits to the quality post of an inactive account than to send merit to the post of an active account with useless or spam posts. Example is the founder of this forum. His is not active since 2010. https://bitcointalksearch.org/user/satoshi-3
But you can see how people continue to send his posts merits: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=merit;u=3
There are other members like that.
Giving merit to quality posts, regardless to active or inactive poster, gives other users an indication of worthy content, either to read or as a template of what makes up a quality post. If a user cares to earn merit other merited posts serve as sort of a role model. Therefore it shouldn't matter if the poster is active or inactive.
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?
Ofcourse the essence of merit is to reward quality posts, it doesn't matter how long the post have existed, it'll probably be the first time that you're coming across it. Although you don't need to focus your worry about rewarding merit to inactive posts because there are many active quality posts that are under merited, I think that those are the more deserving, however it's your prerogative to decide who you give merit to.
You almost have same reasoning with me because sometimes I use to wonder why giving a merit to a good and quality posts of a user who have been inactive for a long time like close to or over a decade now, like whats the need for? When we know truly well that such a user may have either lost access to the account or may be dead? Like what's the essence
It is how you show your recognition for their past contributions. You send merit if you see their contributions are important for you and Bitcoin.You don't lose anything if you send your sendable merit away to a good post. Don't hoard your sendable merit because it is created to be spent (spendable). You also won't lose your merit or your rank won't be deranked by sending your sendable merit.
I think I'm very much comfortable with the highlighted statement, that is a kind of showing recognition to them for their past contributions to the Bitcointalk forum. I like this so much as anyone who has done well deserves appreciation. So in this forum, our appreciation and commendation is the merit we send to valuable posts by users who made good impact towards the well being and development of the forum regardless of whether they're active or inactive, I'm now very much pleased to hear this.
It doesn't actually matters, you can be active and also be merited especially when the post is impacting something really important most people in this forum still gain merit without being active, like satoshi Nakamoto his in active though some users still decide to merit his previous post, so doesn't matter as long you like the post and you see as something that really impact on you so you can merit it.
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. 
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?
Of course, if a user makes a good post and becomes inactive, that post will definitely get merit. In this case if you can learn something based on that post and give merit as good post then surely you will have no problem. 
You almost have same reasoning with me because sometimes I use to wonder why giving a merit to a good and quality posts of a user who have been inactive for a long time like close to or over a decade now, like whats the need for? When we know truly well that such a user may have either lost access to the account or may be dead? Like what's the essence
It is how you show your recognition for their past contributions. You send merit if you see their contributions are important for you and Bitcoin.You don't lose anything if you send your sendable merit away to a good post. Don't hoard your sendable merit because it is created to be spent (spendable). You also won't lose your merit or your rank won't be deranked by sending your sendable merit.
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?
You almost have same reasoning with me because sometimes I use to wonder why giving a merit to a good and quality posts of a user who have been inactive for a long time like close to or over a decade now, like whats the need for? When we know truly well that such a user may have either lost access to the account or may be dead? Like what's the essence
yeah, it's okay, I mean, you are meriting the post they made, the person being inactive does not matter, but if you are worried about the merit being wasted on someone inactive(despite you think their post deserves merit) you can always just save your merit and give it to someone who you think made a quality post and is active. in the end, everything is up to you.
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?
Absolutely, buddy! If you find a post or reply helpful and you've learned something from it, you can give some smerits as a way of showing appreciation. Even if users are inactive or have been away for a while, they still deserve recognition. Merits are never wasted(I think that's a taught running through your mind)
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?
They and their posts deserved to receive merit if post quality, thread quality are excellent.Merit is for quality contributions. Sending your sendable merit to quality posts if you see them.
Active or inactive users is not a concern because forum has unlimited merit and monthly theymos dumps more sendable merit to merit sources. You don't have concern that if you and other members send smerit to inactive users, total sendable merit in the forum will dry out.
I'm hoping that this system will increase post quality by:
- Forcing people to post high-quality stuff in order to rank up. If you just post garbage, you will never get even 1 merit point, and you will therefore never be able to put links in your signature, etc.
- Highlighting good posts with the "Merited by" line.
While we will not be directly moderating this, I encourage people to give merit to posts that are objectively high-quality, not just posts that you agree with.
- Forcing people to post high-quality stuff in order to rank up. If you just post garbage, you will never get even 1 merit point, and you will therefore never be able to put links in your signature, etc.
- Highlighting good posts with the "Merited by" line.
While we will not be directly moderating this, I encourage people to give merit to posts that are objectively high-quality, not just posts that you agree with.
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?
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