I don't think replying top people's posts are against the Bitcointalk rules but ...
Just read and follow the rules. There is a good reason for them, so try to respect the community you are addressing.
Are you a moderator here?
No. You can see the names of the local moderators in the title of each of the child-boards:

You can thank one of them for fixing your mess and merging your posts.
In addition, you can find a list of global moderators and staff members
here.
I hope this is helpful.