What ? Now merit score isn't a super accurate indicator of undeniable value when analysed objectively?
That must be why you said the terms good poster and bad poster are meaningless without strict definition and criteria to measure against.
I agree with you on the fact that, merit isn't an accurate indicator but then, it reflects the judgement of the people, their perception and how they see your post to be credible to the context of the forum.
So the only issue is..
why is this meaningless garbage the basis for the trust system ?
Why do campaign managers put any stock in this meaningless nonsense?
I wonder what the basis could have been in a moderated secured system where your barely familiar with any user but still hopes to do business with them. There's got to be some form of ratings in place to distinguish put some users up front of others based on their contributions and activities on the forum though, using the trust system is still rightly based on users discretion. It only gives you an idea on how to navigate.
It really doesn't matter I guess to any that are not here for financial reasons.
The only shame is that theymos sanctioned those controlling this meaningless crap to manipulate the forum software into turning their petty gripes and annoyance at being whistle blown on into fake lies of scamming and claims of financially motivated wrongdoing.
I won't say the forum isn't strongly moderated as it uses to be besides, the newbies now seem to have done a little bit of research to have persisted else, I see a couple of ban appeals still on this same board and have seen a user complain to have been banned due to report by a moderator but then, this is a claim that could be looked into and banning whistle blowers without evidence, I don't think anyone could be banned without an evidence of some sort.
A members true value is based only upon any lasting change their posts resulted in. Whether that be for bitcoin, another project or for a group of people who's lives you have changed in a huge way they didn't expect.
I agree with you on this point but then, this is basically based on the users judgement and the level of response from the masses can't be totally wrong. Not having a single user as the judge of a post but the forum itself is a concrete idea to better authenticate a post.
Your quite an experienced user and poster to be a Jr. Member, I give you that.
Well it's Friday and I'll confess I've started mid afternoon. I'm currently experiencing a state most of you can't afford sadly.
So anyway ..
The problem is that without some stipulation or definition or criteria as the Lower threshold of good.
Or even an guarantee that the person believes the post to be good ( however weird and wonderful good is to them) then there is nothing preventing the member meriting what they know is a completely misleading net negative piece of garbage aka not good.
This therefore means that they know wilfully that there is no credibility or reliability or value at all to the post and they could wilfully merit misleading net negative shit. What is to stop them? What is to motivate them? Well read the " most important thread you can contribute to ..." on this very board.
Yes, some reliable, credible and useful metric could be sensible but merit is not anywhere near that.
There is no sensible argument ( which will stand up to scrutiny)that merit is useful.
If you want people to look at merit and say well the more merit the more inaccurate more misleading it is then that is likely more useful in meta and rep. I have not examined the other boards as much.
If people are relying on merit as some kind of metric or accurate and useful indication of useful data then ..... ?
I liked your reply though. It represents what many people probably think, and is perhaps why they are willing to give the system a chance. I mean if so many people genuinely consider it a good post then maybe there is some value? That is very optimistic
But do they?really?
Do people do they really reward what they think is objectively optimal for all persons or what is best for them?
You know the answer and so do I. Even at this very moment.
People find merit in what is best for them. That is only natural. Any designer should know this.