It doesn't work that way, nearly no one who "wants" to become a mod becomes one on BCTtalk or we'd have either Lutpin or shorena be one(who are at the top for making the most reports AFAIK).

As for becoming a merit source, I believe this is way too early to ask to be one and secondly your examples aren't that noteworthy. I believe almost all longstanding reputed members have already been made into merit sources kind of like DT 1 when DT was introduced and to get in the "system" you'd have to get at least the approval from some merit sources(can't see any approval from a somewhat reputed member except nullius I guess). Well theymos rarely replies or reacts when you just make a thread, might as well send a PM with a link to this thread, don't expect a reply though.

P.S: I have the 36 sMerits things, does that mean I'm a merit source? Haven't been following the recent introduction of the new system yet.