Thank you for your intention anyway

Your answer actually proves my point. It will take an endless time for anyone to get the Merits necessary to rank up, since sMerits are so extremly deflationary. Every time someone sends sMerit half of them get "burned". If you send me 10 sMerits I will get 10 Merit + only 5 sMerits that I can use myself. This means sMerits supply will soon get down to zero. So again, an endless time to rank up might be not a rethoric figure but a precise depiction of reality. I understand that there will be a few "elected" ones who will be able to create limited quantity of sMerits out of thin air, but whoever they might be, how will they use their power of choice? I hope this will not lead to a sort of feudalism in Bitcointalk, that would really spoil any pleasure to be here for any person with some dignity.
You seem to be in good spirits about it. Am surprised you're not pissed like all the others that just missed out. I mean 4activity away from becoming hero! that must sting some?