Introducing deMerit sources would be a good decision to remove some Merits given to Newbies by mistake, like this one: https://bt.irlbtc.com/view/5030749.0

Another idea could be if we increase the rank requirements for Jr. Members later again. Most of them who received 1 Merit now will continue shitposting, not all of them, but most of them. If we wait a few weeks now and then change the rules again that it's necessary to earn 2 Merits to get a Jr. Member we can check their new comments after the account got his 1 Merit. If he didn't change his posting behaviour and continued his shitposting, this second Merit he needs now to be Jr. Member will be refused.

This can be another measure to prevent mistakenly given Merits.

Part of the reason I started this thread was to (re)start a discussion about deMerit. I see good points, both in favour and against it.
I didn't mention it in the OP, but if deMerits are introduced, it should be a shared responsibility, just like the current Merit sources (and not just me).

The sadist in me would love to see this happening as I can't picture LoyceV abusing this and I'm pretty sure that if he is proven wrong on something he will award back the merit but if we're going to have 10 or 20 sinks (?) around we are going to end with the same controversy we have with the trust system. And we all know how many sides are waging war on that front.

And having a single person with this "power" won't be a much brighter idea either...

Rather than hunting them down, I would really like to see two things implemented:
a) (this was also LoyceV idea, I think!?) an automated system where you either
- lose 1 merit for every 100 or whatever activity if you wear a signature for even a second during an activity period
- you need at least one merit in the last x days to keep your signature active

b) this is going to piss off a lot of people but I would love to see all jr/full/sr/hero or legendary members who haven't earned a single merit since the system was implemented without the possibility of displaying a signature

After all, legendary and heroes were supposed to have earned their rank with the hundreds of worthy posts made before the system was introduced. So what's the difference between a newbie who made 1000 posts and has not earned a single merit and a hero member who has also done 1000 posts in the same timeframe with the same results ?


 

I like and support this idea, great! LoyceV is someone we can trust, especially in this task, this man will be fair and won't abuse anything.
Curious, why theymos didn't think about demerit? Well, not everyone has to be available of it but at least we need another group of people who are fair and wish to so this job like we have merit sources.
In LoyceV We Trust

To be honest I am not agree with demerit system. I don't believe that merit could be send by mistake. It's not same as Facebook like that could be press by mistake. During meriting time there is new tab, that means you are fully aware that you are going to merit someone. On the other hand once you are meriting someone you are meriting on post, you are not consider a person. Same thing for others people also. Say someone merited me on a post,  but in case after few days if they aren't agree with me for any reason than may be some one will think I will demerit my merit. It's just example, but I think it would be happen. I don't think it will be fair.

If you think for source of demerit like current merit source than also I am not agree. You will se many accusation against them. Adding demerit source means merit will moderated by forum. So it would be easy to question forum. And it's more difficult to identify who are really abusing. Without proper explanation couldn't be demerited. You can see sometimes there is accusation also against merit source regarding merit abuse. So you can imagine how many accusation will be against demerit source.

For me current merit system is working fine. Just we need to follow who are abusing merit system and identify them for tag. I know merit abusing increase after implement new rules. But I don't think it will longer as well they are getting red tag if caught.

As I was saying....


I think that less than 0.1% of the merit was sent by mistake, usually with that back page bug but the focus of the demeriting should not be on posts that have been merited and did not deserve it.

The main target should be the shitposts, like the ones here: Wall of fame shame.

Let theymos decide on this matter since for the time being had no plan for this to create a demerit committee. Besides if a demerit committee is needed theymos should consider also on how it will be used like a protocol before proceeding to demerit a member for it could be subject also for the possible abuse of its use. Let theymos decide on this matter and its consulting team and not just by one or two members here in the forum.

That would be bad as it can easily be abused. Say user A doesn't like user B. Then user A buys Merit to give to a bad post made by user B. You're saying user B should get red trust, while user B is innocent in this scenario.
A deMerit on the merited bad post would solve this without harming user B.

This would be a much better solution, but I think it's less likely to be implemented. I'd be okay with dropping my LoyceBot from Full Member down to Member, but it won't even happen as long as it doesn't make new posts.
I don't think the complication of checking for a signature is needed though.

I'm not sure how effective this will be.

Now Newbies are complaining that old accounts got their Merit airdrop for spamming. If you have 1000 Merit, but didn't earn anything for the last 100 Activity you gained, I don't think you have any right to be pissed about it.

Agreed with your other reason. But the 2nd one, which I have quoted, isn't a good solution, IMO. I have received 1 merit. Someone posted an article in Beginners and Help, I had read the exact one from a website. Then I shared the link by replying to his article and also mentioned that he had copied the article. SOmeone gave me a merit. Later, the thread was deleted for plagiarism.
I don't know whether my reply would deserve a merit or not. But what if someone gave merit in a post which really deserve merit and the thread got deleted somehow. Willn't it take down the real reward? I think it will not motivate people.