You are entitled to your opinion, but I think your comments about Bitcointalk are not accurate.

– If you want to know what cronyism and paranoia look like, visit this forum. All newbies are treated like scammers, and their account lacks features that senior members have.

The posting restrictions for newbies are not based on cronyism and paranoia. There is a healthy suspicion of newbies because of the many scammers coming to Bitcointalk and trying to defraud you. As a newbie, you may not be not aware of this.

If you don't want to be labeled as a scammer, don't promote sites that might look like a scam. In fact, don't promote sites at all because there is always a chance that you are promoting a scam site.

There is also the problem of spam. Most new members have joined to post spam or earn money from signature campaigns. Their purpose is counter to purpose of this site, which is to be a place to discuss and learn about Bitcoin.

If you don't want to be labeled as a spammer, don't post spam. Don't post referral or affiliate links. Don't promote stuff. Don't treat this site as money-making opportunity. If you want to be taken seriously, don't join a signature campaign.

– Unfair “Trust” system where old users can destroy a new member’s reputation without any proof.

I agree that the trust system has been abused by certain users. The good news is that it really isn't important if you aren't doing anything that requires others to trust you. I have negative trust, but I am still here.

– It is almost impossible to become a senior member on the forum since old members don’t give ” Merit” points to new members.

Rank must be earned, and it is difficult to earn because you must make posts that others feel are worthy of merit. A random comment or opinion is not going to gain merit, but a thoughtful and well-constructed post might. The more time you spend on a post, the more likely it will be to gain merit.

My advice is that you don't worry about rank. You don't need a high rank in order to post.