First thing you need to if you are hoping to rank up in the forum is to make yourself as knowledgeable as you can. You cannot be someone who posts constructive ideas without having those knowledge first. Afterwards, you can start posting and start analyzing how the merit system works. Before, activities are the only requirement in order for you to rank up but now that the merit system showed up, it is much harder to increase your rank. We cannot hate on the merit system, it is an effective way to assure that only those who are deserving should rank up and those who do not take things here seriously should stay on what they are right now.