Agree. It is not easy to earn merits, but not extremely difficult, not impossible. Users can get it if they really contribute to the forum, contribute day by day, contributing continuously. I believe that merits will come to such a constructive users.
It's really not easy to earn merit points even with good content because people with merits don't think its necessary even when they have extra merit points.
Sometimes users will get merits for their high quality threads, sometimes they won't get them. One of the reason is users (especically higher-ranked users) don't have too much time to scan around the forum to find high-quality threads, then evaluate them and send them merits. Another reason is high-quality threads covered by hundreds of shitty-posts. Nevertheless, merit system will solve the problem over time. Let's wait and see.
There are many posts with proper title and content that need to be merited but they are not getting any single merit.
There are many posts with proper title and content that need to be merited but they are not getting any single merit.
No, it's hard to release such a official rule like you proposed. The problem is verifying/ evaluating quality of each thread is an impulsive tasks. Someone can feel that the thread is useful, helpful for them because it helps them to solve their problems; someone else can feel the thread is non-sense because it is not highly related to their issues.
In my view there are some incentive also for giving merits, if anyone gives merits to low-quality post then he will be punished by losing some of his existing merits points and if he give merits to high-quality post that is helpful for people then he must get a reward for this as well.