No, it doesn't.

A user needs 30 activity points, which is 42 days of posting (since activity points are added after every 2 weeks. So 14+14=28 but the requirement is 30 so the user needs to wait for 14 more days to reach it, so 28+14=42) and 1 Merit to rank up to Jr. member. So, if a user, who is so honest that he hasn't even heard about the bounties and stuff and has joined the forum to only learn about cryptocurrencies and their ecosystems and all, and take part in serious discussions without his involvement in anything that happens in Bounties (Altcoins) section, he should probably be able to make at least a few posts that would show his abilities and that he is honest to the forum and its cause. If he does that, he won't face any discrimination and will simply keep growing up without any hurdles. But, if a user who joins the forum, with the only intention to hunt tokens and earn money for doing nothing else than being a crap, he doesn't deserve to rank up and keep doing that.

Besides, it is not a really big deal to not wear a signature for only a month or so if you know that you have the ability to earn a Merit and rank up after that. Honest users would/should understand the reason behind this restriction, and don't feel discriminated.