Newbie should be corrected and not to be use to earn merits, most of the top rank members earn most of their merits from attacking and reporting newbie.
While this might sound unreal, it is very true. I have faced such a challenge while I was a lower ranked member. Some of the established members does nothing else than to bash the newbies. When they ask innocent questions, they take advantage of the question to earn merits to themselves and demarket the questionair who is the Op. These things happen, but if you are not sensitive enough, you will not understand. A post that ought to get merits, but due to the first responder was hash and negative towards the Op, no one will drop a single merit for Op. Unless in a rare case that people like DdMrDdMr will.
IMPORTANT OF TOP RANK MEMBERS
Before you are been named or given a rank I believe you have pass through many challenges, obstacles before reaching the level you are now. I believe there is a reason why you are at that level. they are vital importance of being a top rank members
1: To guide and not to judge
2: To support
3: To Teach and so many more
I believe that Bitcoin talk forum is a home of knowledge and knowledge is acquired and distributed.
Some established members do the above while some newbies are so adamant. And in some cases they turn to be teaching the established members how the forum works. Things like this are offensive, especially for people who have been long here and know how unreal some newbies are