Quote from: The Pharmacist on Today at 05:08:44 PM

Give your thoughts to Theymos, because at this point it's out of my hands.

I have been following this topic diagonally for a few days and today I can't help answer you.
Forget the tag "Staff" under my nickname, this is just my personal opinion and not an "official" answer. I warn you it's just a reaction to this topic, I don't want it become a personal drama between you and me. Because yes, I might be a bit harsh. I'm not going to give Theymos my thoughts, but give you mine (for what it's worth).

What you don't say (or maybe don't know) is that you are already one of the biggest MS. So you are already very privileged.
I take Theymos' silence like this : learn to deal with what you have, I don't want to go brrrrrrrr.

When I see that you give merits by packs of 10, 8, 6, 5, 3, etc... give them rather by packs of 5, 3, 1. If finally you have some merits left, you can go back on the merits you gave like DdmrDdmr does. And everyone will be happy.

Quote from: The Pharmacist on Today at 05:08:44 PM

Ideally I try to give members the full 50 merits per 30 days

Excuse me, but this is the stupidest thing I've read about merits.
50 merits per month to each user will make him/her go up faster in merits than in activity. What would be the point ? What was the merit system created for ?

Exceptional members will never have a merit problem (merits > activity).
Good users will become legendary without much problem (merit = activity).
Less good users may have some problems, but there are ways to get the attention of MS (I think of this kind of topic or even this one).
That leave shitposters, trolls and bounty hunters, but they get what they deserve.

And as we say : the important thing is not the destination, it's the journey.
Climbing the ranks of Bitcointalk is a long and bumpy journey. But the satisfaction of finally becoming legendary will be greater.

Imagine if Tolkien had written the Lord of the Rings this way :
Frodo: So I have to take this ring to a volcano in Mordor ?
Gandalf : Yes.
Frodo : Pfff it's far and dangerous. Can't you use your magic powers to teleport me ?
Gandalf : OK....
THE END.

Exciting ?

And to finish on a lighter note:

Quote from: Halab on July 06, 2021, 07:00:08 PM

I'm not in Theymos' head, but I understand this latest change as "You want sMerits ? Here are some sMerits!! Now stop bothering me with it for at least 2 years"

So far, I'm not wrong yet. We will see in July.

.