My take on this is that there are a large number of people who post meaningful content but they dont get merits either because they post in sections where merit sources dont patrol or the merit sources ran out of merits. Bottom line is that we need an increased number of merit sources patrolling every section of the forum if we are to make merit as a "criteria" of being selected as a "good poster".
I read that phrase, and I realised that there is another factor, and it's hit me today. You start to look around, and you get the impression that nobody is taking any notice of the suggestions to optimise posting, or to try to provide a better board experience for readers. This leads one into switching off merit awarding mode, and you just take part in social interactions. The instagram spammers are coming out of their worm holes, and that is extremely annoying to anyone who is opposed to the destructive Instagram campaigns. I fail to see why they are allowed on the Bitcoin boards, and I believe their promotion is damaging to the forum. It's one of the things that switches me off.