The user might not be trying to get merits at all. Some join here with the sole purpose of joining bounties and getting some pay from that, and there are bounties that do not require one to get any merits.
it's not that they haven't read or studied about the wider issue of gifts. I think those who create an account just to join the bounty campaign are the ones who have experience in forums. it could be that the members participating in the bounty campaign are members who have been on the forum longer than us. more of them have starter account farms.
they know the information in the forums. they just don't want to develop themselves. they weren't hunting for Merit, it wasn't that they weren't capable. they just don't want it.