@cryptohunter Instead of bitching about how us merit sources are doing a piss poor job and only meriting people in our clique; please do go out and find some good posters for us to merit. I do my best; however, there is not enough time in the day to read every single post. (I wouldn't even understand the posts in the local boards.) I admit it, I usually stick to boards and threads that happen to be interesting to me. However, I will be happy to merit some neglected posters who are putting out fabulous posts and not getting the recognition that they deserve.
Please go back and reread the entire thread before posting nonsense based upon strawmen you are inventing.
I mean you may want to start with just my first post in this thread actually the first line. I see you must have missed that (along with the other multiple times i have reiterated that sentiment in different ways so all can understand)
No need to change anything about merit as again i have said perhaps 10x it is working well now so long as people don't start creating misleading meanings to their merit scores.
Well, what the OP states and your recommendations are very true. I usually avoid the megathreads, since it has a good deal of trash to sift through. There is one exception. That is the
Wall Observer thread. And it is no secret that people who frequent Wall Observer posters are part of a clique. After all, most of us have hats as an avatar.
However, in the mean time, before everything starts to even out, many volunteers can point out all these good posts that are being sorely neglected. I will be happy to merit a nice gem and give people the recognition they justly deserve.
edit: Here is another possible solution to the dilemma the op is talking about. (although I doubt it will ever be implemented.): If someone presses on the +merit, but has no smerit to give, then it gives the user the option to "report to merit sources." This would place the post in some kind of database that all of us merit sources would have access to. It would work similar as the "report to moderator" function. There may be a good deal of "bad" reports. However, with 119 merit sources, we can make short work out of it.
This is a very reasonable reply. I of course accept many of the top merit holders are net positive and do good work.
Your merit giving seems quite reasonable and indicates a person that probably browses the boards he likes to visit and sees a good post and merits it. Fair enough.
However when I notice a merit history like this
Today at 13:50:34: 2 to The Pharmacist for Re: account blocked today over a year old and 1500+ posts
Today at 13:50:00: 2 to The Pharmacist for Re: What's happening with Bitcoin losing more than 10 per cent of its value?
Today at 13:49:32: 2 to The Pharmacist for Re: What is this forum for?
Today at 13:49:00: 2 to The Pharmacist for Re: Trust abuse! Injustice! Fake trust by winter! Much butthurt I am!
Today at 13:48:33: 2 to The Pharmacist for Re: Is the new ERA of merit dying again?
Today at 13:47:59: 3 to The Pharmacist for Re: DT1 list alternation: add me on it
Today at 13:47:16: 3 to The Pharmacist for Re: I need merit badly
.
Imagine 28 seconds between naturally browsing the board (not searching for your fav merit buddies at all just per chance your machine accidentally flys from you buddies post to his next one deserving more merit) reading the post (in full context of the thread)digesting it deciding on a sensible merit score and then just leaving that thread (cos it got boring after reading merit buddies post) and browsing the board naturally again (not searching for merit buddies)and finding another great post (just pure chance it is same buddy posting again) to read in the middle of a thread reading it and deciding on another senisble merit score. This just happening over and over.
Then they tell me --- if i happen to cross a good post I merit it simple as that. It's not like I just go searching for my merit buddies posts and taking 28 second or 30 seconds average to just plaster more merits to them.
edit there is a 27 second one too... those 28 second ones are simply inefficient discovery/evaluation/rewarding incidents.
The vast bulk of his merits are given out to a few people.
To be honest though as I have said. I feel merit is working well for reducing negative behaviour and if people like to give some to their friends it's not hurting anyone really i guess.
Some use it more as per the guide theymos has instructed some do not. Either way people get to post their views on this board with equal standing regardless of rank or merit score and each post should be evaluated on the content contain and no weight added for merit score. High merit does not mean you are a better poster than if you have low merit.
Predominantly the fault of spammers and bots but some people are not really treating merit in the spirit others are.
I like your idea actually - could be refined with accuracy so like reporting spam you get accuracy score and the more accurate suggesters for merit worthy posts are put to the top of the pile for review the less accurate don't get reviewed as much or if at all as time progresses.Very good idea I think you should create a poll I would vote for the implementation of it.