Hello and first i would like to say that i know posting this topic in first place is useless and won't change anything, but believe me, i talk from many people on this forum, and i will try to use facts only and not empty words.
I will try to manage the topic in few parts, because it will be long one.
1). Lets start with the problem with the "DefaultTrust" system.
We all know that most of the "DefaultTrust" members have their own standard.
They are couple of people who run the "trust" score by their own discretion and not based on the "non official bitcointalk rules"
It is sad that the very first bitcoin forum created by Satoshi Nakamoto itself, have no official rules after 10 years of existing in first place.
If Satoshi were still active, and watch what is going on in his forum, this would never happened...
Couple of people running this forum (yes they running it not you) by teams.
Teams that manipulate, abuse and ruin this forum with fake/false arguments, most of them cleaning their actions with "funny" utterances which of course are supported with laugh from the other "DefaultTrust" members.
This scheme is old and it is more obvious for those who don't have their eyes closed.
Every single member in this forum know about those existing teams who abuse and manipulate the trust score, ruining the whole market and everything in this forum.
Every single person can see after the first member of the team post somewhere, the others follow them strictly by just spreading the word of the first.
They attack the OP not only with abusive and false trust abuse but also with arrogant arguments based on no proofs ignoring the statements which are proof based.
Everyone know that if TMAN, owlcatz or Lauda post somewhere, no matter which one will be the first poster, others are coming in less than a day to support each other, and no matter the facts they stay behind the first poster of the team.
Do not get me wrong, i am pretty sure all of those "DefaultTrust" members have done a lot for the community, but based on the statistic and the facts for last 12 months, they have done for this forum only bad things.
We can continue with the other "team" of "DefaultTrust" abusers.
They are know and also their posts are coming right after the very first one and i am talking about the marlboroza, The Pharmacist and LoyceV.
I don't really like to commend the bad things most of them doing, but 99.99% of the forum know each of those "DefaultTrust" members reacts and false arguments.
As the first team, this team also running pretty well their circle of support, fabricating false arguments without proofs and abusing the trust system.
Sadly the facts and the statistic show that the "DefaultTrust" members have done nothing but bad things in the last 12 months.
I bet you will trying to say that's not true, but everything they done in the last year were only supported by group of members who control the "Merit circle" and not the normal and average bitcointalk member.
They using those "powers" to censorship, manipulate the trust system and also abusing the "Merit" system.
This courage the account sales in this forum, no matter sales are not forbidden (but they still tag it and by that they break the bitcointalk rules but no one care).
Lets see the facts about the trust abuse based on false arguments without single proof (I will just add few, they are many):
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/remove-corruption-from-dt-union-trust-list-9604-5103988
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/trust-abuse-and-lies-from-dt-members-5105765
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/lauda-sent-me-a-negative-trust-with-no-proof-solved-5105875
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/yogg-this-user-is-a-protector-of-liars-and-abuser-of-the-trust-system-himself-5098315
And many many more.
All of the DT members do their "job" based in their own view, giving this forum nothing but "Mafia" management.
I can continue with this, but it will take so much space and information which already everyone know.
2) Merit
The whole idea of Merit system is more than absurd.
You will ask why?
Take a look at the huge "Merit circle"...
Most of the "Merit" in this forum is controlled by very few persons who circle it.
Many very new members are not familiar with it, don't know how to earn it, and if the "Mafia" do not accept their posts as "Good", "Useful" and so, they never rank up.
The same people decide what is good and what is not for someone to rank up based in their own views not letting competition or anyone who have different view point.
The whole idea of creating this forum from Satoshi is dead and the way people are forced to use the forum doing it.
All new members and those who already using the forum from some time, are forced to lick their asses, watch what they write because if they do not meet the criteria of the "Mafia" team who control the merits and the trust system, they will be out.
Is that what Satoshi really wanted from this forum ?
Is that what Satoshi were giving as idea for the normal bitcoin user and bitcointalk user?
I don't think so...
I can't really touch all the problems for the normal average bitcointalk user but even if i had the space and time to talk about it, it won't be read and handled properly.
Don't get me wrong, by "handled properly" doesn't mean handled by my view point by the view point of EVERYONE and not couple of people in this forum.
3) Moderators
Since ages this forum sections are dying from spam, and from months the marketplaces dying from the same reason.
Many and important sections which people were super active months ago are dying from spam and not moderated topics.
And i am talking about the marketplaces.
The bitcoin marketplaces (currency,digital goods,hardware) and the altcoin marketplaces.
They are leaved to die, people are not so active on them anymore because of the reasons above and also the bad moderation of the forum.
The post reports are handled super poorly, super slow and based on opinion but not rules (because we still don't have rules).
I will reserve a space to add more in thru this problems and lock this thread because it is useless to read the "Mafia" team posts, but at least this can be read by you, our admin.
Everything should be consider and everything should be voted!
If something will cost you money to do, but everyone want it - we will donate to help our forum to be better place.
Problems that can be solved:
1.Removing the Merit system because it is not fair.
It is not fair for everyone and the average new member.
"Merit Circle" Mafia should not decide who will rank up and who not.
Official rules should replace the judgement which post is useless, spam and so, and it will be removed from Moderator.
2.Removing "DefaultTrust" powers.
Yes that's right, this abuse should have his end as it has begin.
We don't need abused false and fake opinions by "Mafia" team.
If someone needs feedback, it can be used like everywhere else, with non-moderated thread used to collect "Vouches"
Those "Vouches" should be proof based so the "feedback" cannot be manipulated.
There is no need of "Positive" and "Negative" feedback on profile.
Everyone who wants to run "business" on this forum, should be able to do it free, without breaking the rules, and if he want to become trusted, that should not dependent from "Team" which decide who will be and who won't be trusted in this forum.
Trust should be based in feedback.
Take a look how marketplace forums run since 10-15 years such as sythe,powerbot and many many more.
3.Official rules.
Finally we need official rules (Well at least after 10 years it is time Moderators to follow official rules but not take decisions by their own).
There should be Official rules that Moderators should follow strictly.
Rules that people should respect and follow.
Most of the "Not Official" rules being passed and not followed not only by the Moderators but the "Mafia" team who manipulate the trust system and Merit.
If something is allowed such as "Account sales" it should not been abused and tolerated.
If that kind of sales got forbidden, then Moderators should take care of it.
4. More moderation.
Yes this forum needs more moderation and more Moderators with free time to do it.
Scams in this forum should be moderated and proven scammers should be banned.
By "Proven scammers" i underline scam reports with valid and proper evidences.
Those "Proper evidences" should not be considered as such based on free notepad story's, but clearly matching who is talking with who, matching his contact details and the scam itself.
Samples can be taken from different forums how they moderate the scam reports.
Moderation of scams should be punished with ban by the Moderators.
And not in last place i would like to say few words.
Theymos, we need to you more than ever, and the forum statistics showing that.
People leaving this forum, people not coming often in this forum, people being abused, threatened and forced to follow group of people and their own "game".
That wasn't Satoshi idea, that wasn't the forum idea in first place.
I know you have the powers to make the things better for everyone.
The average new and normal member needs his favorite bitcoin forum back.
And we need it ASAP.
This should be place for people!
This should be place for everyone!
For knowledge, information, marketplace and communication.
Not place where people abusing each other, where people don't have official rules, where people being forced to do something, or they will be abused with false abusive trust score ratings.
This forum crying for proper moderation and end of the "Mafia" era.
This thread is now not locked so every single retard who abuse his DT powers and lie can post here.