Merit is really hot topic bro and it is very important these to earn them of you want to stay at the top or whether you want to earn higher ranks etc. I mean if you are here to earn ranks then I'm sure you will have to focus more and more on the merit system. To earn the merits you have to be very quality poster otherwise you won't sustain here for long time.

However, merit system should not be taken for granted and must work for it very hard. The merit system made so that people can reward each other for posting and helping in quality ways. If people around here love your posts then they can spend merits on you which are allotted to you. You can check your merits in your profile by clicking the merits.

The rest thing can be known from the thread provided by appleyard.