Learning forum rules shouldn't be the primary reason to be here. Normal users should be more or less okay without knowing the details, just common sense is enough.
Guess there are not a lot of such
normal users as you'd think. Imo, over 90% newbies who decide to stay in the forum may become more or less merit-seeking, coz they want to earn a few extra bucks (by joining sig. camps, etc.). And the rest fall into a category where they just ask 1 question about their problem and run away from the forum forever when its solved. Think you'd agree mostly promotional camps incentivizes newbs. to stay here so they'll do what it takes.
The whole idea of merit is to reward a good quality post. I don't think we should confuse it with a reporter's reporting status.
Agreed, plus there is a loophole, ppl may create their own new alt accounts, start spamming with it and report themselves to earn merit on their other account.