More exactly, merit system is something like extreme valuable, unexpected gift we got from Theymos, the forum admin.
I have joined the forum since October last year with my original objective is to earn money.
I don't deny the fact. Due to magical impacts of merit system, now I feel better and I have changed myself to be better member in the forum. My knowledge increased gradually, I feel better day by day by help others in the forum with my limited knowledge and experience.
Nevertheless, I believe that I will be able to help more forum members when I matured more over time.
I have to say this: Things are better now than they were before January 2018 when the merit system was dropped on us like the 10 commandments from Moses.
They will be found and wipen out somehow by moderators, users (who contribute to report abused cases to moderators).
Even if there is shitpostin'-a-plenty, which there still is.
Idiots will probably have no chance to rank up after merit system dropped on the forum. They might buy merits to move up to higher positions, but they will be under extremely high risks of banning, too.
The fact is that the new system is making it harder for the idiots to rank up their whole stable of alts, and thus it makes it harder for them to farm accounts--harder to sell them, buy them, you name it.
Me too. It's good signal about early positive effects of merit system.
Plus I've most certainly seen that many users have improved their posts dramatically. That in and of itself is good news for bitcointalk.