The first thing to do is to step back and say to yourself -"Why do I want to increase my rank? "
If your answer is that you don't really care about Bitcoin or virtual currencies, but you heard that Bitcoin Talk is a handy way to pick up some extra income, then you should re-evaluate your motives. This isn't a forum for people to earn easy money by just posting garbled rubbish.
If you are here to learn how to use Bitcoin, or to explore the world of Bitcoin, then welcome to the forum. You should be able to earn points by asking reasoned questions, as well as providing insights and help, but please make sure that your question hasn't been asked many times before.
What Jet Cash said is true. You said that the merit system would be a challenge to the people who wants to rank up. I hope you don't mind me asking but why do you want to rank up? What is the reason you joined this forum and what is the goal you want to reach? I hope you do understand that this forum is a platform to share knowledge or opinions with one another and not solely made for the purpose of earning. I do understand that with a higher rank, people would take you seriously and see your credibility. However, I believe that with genuine intentions, no rank can define your integrity. So I hope you do take time to ask yourself what your motif really is because if its about learning, then ranking up should be the least of your priorities.