I'm finding it a little unbelievable that OP registered today and is already asking a *stupid* question about merits--in a new thread, no less.

OP, please do yourself, and the rest of the bitcointalk community, a favor and do a lot of reading before you start creating threads about issues that have been addressed at length.  Assuming you're not an account farmer's alt account (which I think you are), if you're starting out here concerned with ranking up, you're here for all the wrong reasons.  And given the way your post was structured, you're not likely to earn any merit and you'll stay a Jr. Member until all the stars in the galaxy burn themselves out.