I find the merit system good and beneficial to those who really excel in sharing their ideas and opinions, doing research about the topic and all. But in line with it's implementation, most of the members here in the forum are quite bitter and they hate it because it will take longer for them to rank up and earn more stakes during signature. For me, this merit system should have been implemented way back bitcointalk forum started just to be fair for everyone.
The merit system WOULD be a good one if only people would actually give the merit to whom deserves it.
I have lost count of the times I answered questions, provided links with the solutions and got absolutely nothing in return.
So, I don't think it is THE solution and frankly I am not fully happy about it.