This is extremely bad... I think a lot of newbies will try to buy merit but I think they are missing the point. If they just put a bit of time in one of their posts I bet they could easily get 1 merit for it.
What if theymos will increase the merit requirement? Will they buy more? Long term buying is not a solution.
No it is not bad.
A lot of shitposters will abandon their "work"
Others will buy merit and get red tagged for it - making their account only acceptable to the worst of the campaigns that will take anyone that breathes.
Others will buy a copper membership, buy merit, plagiarize content, or make a genuine post and then get banned for shitposting or plagiarism if they break the rules.
Either way - it will cost them effort or crypto to have an account that they can lose for breaking the rules - so hopefully they will stop breaking the rules.
Less rule-breakers is the ultimate goal. If they go undetected for buying merit - that is less bad than spamming the forum.
If you buy merit and the merit seller gets caught - ddmrddmr has fantastic graphics that will show all the recipients.
Awarded merit is viewable -forever !
