I think newbies like me shouldn't think too much about merit, just think of it as a gift from forum members because there is value in the post. at least that's what I've learned from several months of being on this forum. If you have interesting posts, constructive comments, take part in keeping forums alive, both local and main forums, I think people will be happy to give their merits. Maybe I'm wrong, but for newbies like me and others, don't focus on merit, but make posts and comments with high "value".