The merit system doesn't really stop spam, it just stops users being able to rank up with spam/poor contributions so most now put more effort into their posts. The merit system helps and is a huge step in the right direction but it does nothing about lower ranked accounts spamming away who are still able to get on to alt coin campaigns (and half of them will accept anyone of any rank because it's still better than having nobody advertise for them).
In fact, there is a whole new way of spamming, whose protagonists are all those "Forever juniors", in here just for the money and complaining because they don't receive merit due to their spammy actions.
To me the problem has two solutions:
- A quality control in signature/bounties/airdrops, in which only good ones are allowed, and it is required some quality on their posters.
- Do not allow newbies to join them, and to implement the need of gaining merits to JRs.
That's why I've proposed several times to come back to the "newbies jail". Even when I truly believe there are good newbies around, it will be easy for them to gain the 5 merits required to become JRs (if implemented, of course) and to be able to go out of their jail but, for those ones with no will at all of learning, contributing and to enroll discussions, debates, conversations in here... well, they won't be able to go out the jail, so they will be unable to join whatever campaign they are seeking to join. Besides, more of the airdrops, bounties and so are spam.
Notice again that not all the ones wearing a signature are shitposters, as well as no everybody without one is a great one.
The problem beneath, under my last perspective (since I spend some time on the Beginners board trying to find good stuff and reward newbies), is the lack of interest of many. They don't understand how the forum works, and they don't really care. But it is difficult to stop the issue if that kind of newbies is allowed to spam all over the forum. If they are no longer allowed, probably they will just go to another place to spam.
Kind of radical, maybe, but everything is becoming a spam-fest, even some good threads here in meta.