This has obviously explained that you haven't read through the rules and the sticky notes on each and every board-- including this one....no you haven't, if you have then you won't be asking a question like this.
Merit is very important to achieve a rank in here, AFAIK... You've been seeing alot of peeps with different merit count; that's not just fancied anyways, it's really something anyone should get if you must rank up in here. It's been happening way back; when peeps only needed few or much activity ratio to rank up, it's pretty different now as everyone new in here -- after the merit system had to pass through the same process... Earning merit is a different ball game entirely.

Sandra 🧑‍🦰