While I created my account over a year ago, I have recently realized what a useful resource and wealth of knowledge this forum is and can continue to be.
To me, merits are still what I think they were originally intended to be: a means of showing gratitude and reward for your contribution to the crypto community in the form of post on this forum. That contribution could be in any form deemed worthy of showing gratitude. Insight, innovation, profound, and even funny. Sometimes you need a little comedic relief to move things along.
But now that I have come to know a little more about how this forum works and the benefits of using this forum, and also the abuses of the masses and the many ways the intended purpose is perverted, I want to grow in my knowledge and usefulness in crypto and I also want my merit/rank/trust to reflect that growth.
Having said that, given how freely some merit is given (note: I mean freely given, not earned), perhaps the merit requirements for various ranks ought to be raised to offset some of the frivolous abuses.
I do realize that in this merit system where anyone can give merit that has enough to give allows merit to be dispensed at their discretion, but there are now so many topics that making "merit-worthy" posts in many topics, may never actually earn you any merit. Perhaps, the system needs to be updated. Recalibrated. Fine tuned to adjust for inflation. Perhaps requiring more merit to reach higher ranks is in order. Another idea would be for merit to expire.
Just as bumps had become abused and therefore the system overhauled, the merit system could use a revision that would help bring it back to have more meaning for more people.
Perhaps, I have it all wrong.
Btw, anyone who reads this and would like to impart some more wisdom about the forum, please feel free to message me with informative threads or tips on how to wade through the garbage threads more efficiently.
I will now pass the mic to the next person hoping their post is merit-worthy! Good day!
Hope you all have a wonderful day and thank you for reading!