Topic: Possible solution to merit burning - page 2. (Read 514 times)

The issue is not with the merit sources, the few I've known so far has thus been doing their job quite well in ensuring the circulation of merits within the forum.
The issue lies with the fact that, most users (users that aren't functioning as merit source) are finding it difficult in distribution or meriting posts as evident in this post: https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/--5280804 by Jet Cash on the issue of a rather stiff criteria for determining a quality post and feels let down by the burning of Smerit due to long time hoarding. This i am in support of, probably burnt Smerits are been recycled and given to merit sources for redistribution (just an assumption) but, if a user feels concerned about Smerits been burnt, maybe the concept on it be better explained or a reserve provided not accessible by them but, to merit sources only. That way, it puts their mind at ease as they are the once to put it there or have it burnt off.
I believe Upgrade00 better answers the query as this explains why I'm yet and have never experienced my smerits being burnt.
Again, some other complaints continue to puzzle the minds of users as seen in 1dt and 2nd quoted portion, any way to better answer or ease the query...?!

Only merit sources have their source smerits decayed and replenished every month, I don't think this is a major problem at this time. Source allocation varies and I believe it is dependent on how effective the user is in giving out merits and using up their stash before it gets replenished, so a source would technically have as much as they can use up, give or take.
I do not think theymos makes changes regularly to the allocation, but it can be changed based on the user's habits.

You are suggesting merit sources transfer their unused smerits to other sources through a sort of merit bank system?
This is not necessary imo. I have seen a couple of sources talk about running out before the next dump period, but smerits are not scarce and the admin can always increase the allocation if it gets critical.

On the issue of preventing merits from being decayed and invariably wasted, that's still not much of an issue, the source can personally request for a lower stash or change their merit habits or simply allow the unused smerits to decay.

If something will be burnt, it should be airdropped merit that has not been used so far.

For earned merit and smerit, I don't find reasons to burn them.  

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When I click on Merit I see

Merit burning is issue for merit sources. They have 21171 smerits per 30 days. More details on merit source observations

It is not a correct comparison but you can take figures and compare them.

• 21171 smerits per 30 for all 97 merit sources
• Median of monthly merit is 21289, interquartile range is from 18592 to 23482. See details with the newest update for monthly merit
• Last month (2020m9, September)
  
  • 19821 smerits were distributed from merit sources and non-merit sources
  • 1030 members have sent merit transactions
  • 74.2% of 1030 senders sent out 1-10 merit in September *
  • Senders (less than 7%) in groups from 31+ are mainly merit sources
  • From all available data, non-merit source members actively sent out their sMerit but of course they did not empty all of their sMerits
• As per Pareto principle, top-20 merit earners earned ~88% of total earned merits on the forum (data is outdated). If you are high quality posters, you earn it, earn a lot!

*


Those figures can give us the idea that there are members hoard their smerits.
As said, if something will be burnt, it should be airdropped sMerits. For earned merit, people can hoard it.

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That thread One fault with the merit system was created before yours and why not keep discussion going in that one?

Just my assumption.

There's no need for a smerit bank, monthly merit allocations for all merit source members are enough to maintain merit circulation not to become decay in the future. I don't know how smerit bank works as what you've said but I have doubt it could be abused by them, proper distribution with their own criteria of giving merits is already a good solution. Unless, if Theymos have a plan to add merit sources if admin saw the shortage of merit flow or turn out decaying.

The good thing is, evaluate the smerit distributions of all merit sources if they still do their job, IMO.

Remedial therapy for merit faults, if any!

Statement of the problem

I've come across quite a few posts viewing the merit system to be faulty as users tend to function in a merit cycle thereby awarding themselves which is most unlikely, and some others don't view the merit system as a perfect judge for quality posts.

One truth about the meriting in local board on the 'he or she is my guy' thing is that, there is always going to be a 'he/she is my guy'. So long as, they've met before in the local boards, he or she remains a my guy. The later is, it's either the users get merited in the local board or other boards. It's all the same to me. Again,
This is what brings me to the main purpose of this post. You can reference the above quoted topic here:
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/--5280804

Some users in this forum has been given the mandate to function as a merit source based on certain criterias within there capacity I don't yet know but then I'm quite sure they've been doing greatly from my observation like CryptopreneurBrainboss, OgNasty, LoyceV, DdmrDdmr amongst others who take it upon themselves to function in that capacity.
I see the merit system especially with the fact that it works hand in hand with activities as per ranking up for a user hence, the both checks themselves.
But then, having merit being burnt seemed more like a force on some users hands to either lay low the criterias for their judgement on what they assume to be a quality post and just go ahead to merit any post in a bid not to board it and it just burns off.
I do not know the duration it takes for merits to be burnt but, I'll like to suggest that, as much as the burning of smerits should continue which and I'm clearly in support. But then, more can still be done to remedy the many complaints.

Suggestion
Those with Smerit but finds it rather difficult to be decisive on the quality of a post and are concerned about not having the Smerit burnt, should have a way of either sending it to users designated as merit source. Not necessarily meriting them, but rather transferring the Smerits as Smerit over to them or there could be an Smerit bank to function as a reserve from which, merit source user can access or would be shared out to merit sources following certain criterias.

What do you think about this, in light of the recent attacks on the merit systems and possibly give your suggestions too. Let's discuss.