I try regularly to merit in other sections, although it is a harder task to perform, trying to separate the wheat from the chaff. Meta is easier to merit simply because there are many good posts in this section that deserve some merit.

One common misconception for many forum members is that Meta is an easy place to gain merits. It is not. Some do earn a fair share here, me included, but for those that roam the board in search for their first merit, this is not the best section to do so. The standard for awarding merit here is way above what is required on Beginners & Help for example.

I’m finishing-off an analysis inspired by some comments I’ve seen indicating that Meta is a place to search for your first Merit. What I’m seeing so far, is that the first merit has historically been earned (in larger absolute values) in Altcoin Ann, Altcoin Discussion, Bitcoin Discussion, Economics and Marketplace for example. Regardless of all, it down to content and not placement that matters most.