You seem to be getting distracted, ruthbabe, and trying to find biased from already ranked up members, when  it is not centrally relevant to the current situation because higher ranking members did not create the new merit system even though they retain their grandfathered rank.

I think that if LFC_Bitcoin is correct that if your primary reason to come to the forum is for income, then likely your motivations are ones that are being fought against with the implementation of this new merit system.

If you feel that ranking up is important to why you are here, then you are correct that it is going to be much more difficult to rank up under the new system as compared to the old system.... And there are strategies that you can likely develop, especially if you value ranking up. 

Since this is an April fools thread, we are likely getting somewhat off topic to talk about ranking up strategizing ways to possibly earn merits, even though the April fools joke was exaggerating those kinds of concepts and possibly playing on the dynamics of the merit system change, which has more negative emotional sentiments for some members as compared with other members.. and already having had established some rank does establish some differing ranking up dynamics that may be difficult for already ranked up members to relate or even to care about the plight of some of the members trying to rank up, especially if the members trying to rank up seem to be excessively whining about it or even blaming older (higher ranked) members.