I was wondering if/when spendable merit got replenished. I have spent some of mine but haven't noticed any more added. Is there a good thread that explains the whole merit system? I tried to search for it, but didn't turn up anything--this thread was the closest.
There are a lot of merit threads, but
this one is where theymos introduced merits, and I suppose is the main starting point merit thread.
Regarding replenishing of spendable merits, the basic answer is that you only get more spendable merits by receiving merits from other members (at a rate of half a smerit for every merit received from another member) - unless you happen to have been designated as a merit source. So far, theymos has only designated 80 merit sources, and
you can see that here.
Theymos did state a plan to increase members who are designated as merit sources, such as 100s of merit source designees in the future, yet it remains unclear what kind of specific merit source target number he has in mind or the exact timeline for such, but I would think likely under 1,000 merit source designees in the coming year or so based on what he has already stated on the topic, but that is largely inferential speculation on my part.