The merit system is a promising idea.  But it will only work if we develop a strong cultural expectation that merit will only be awarded for meritorious posts.  Requests for merit must be declared extreme rudeness, a forum faux pas.  Such a thing is fit only for social opprobrium, derision, sneers, and shunning.

In most cultures, fishing for compliments is viewed as something between boorish and unthinkable.  Asking for merit is worse, because it may accrue monetary value due to signature campaigns.  It is like begging a professor for a top grade, instead of doing work worthy of earning a top grade.

By contrast, those who have something worthwhile to say will take pride in earning merit the normal way:  By making posts which others find valuable.  Whereas those who have nothing worthwhile to say, as such have nothing to add to the forum.

For my part:  Nobody who ever asks me for merit will ever get any from me—period.

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P.S., all the whiners complaining about the merit system ipso facto thus demonstrate that they are incapable of writing meritorious posts, and therefore worthless to the forum.  Make good posts, and people will notice.  Or shut up.

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Edit:  Added the paragraph about people taking pride in earning merit the normal way.