Precisely because there's a lack of new users with good posts I believe that we don't need new merit sources. At this point in my opinion new merit sources should only happen if less active ones are removed and their sMerits rescinded. When forum activity from new users goes down merit sources should ideally decrease, not increase.
It implies that you consider merit sources necessary only for the development and encouragement of newbies. But they evaluate other ranks in exactly the same way. And it cannot be said that beginners need merits more than higher ranks. Moreover, the forum does not become a less active and interesting place because there are no motivated newbies writing quality posts. I personally find it more interesting to observe the development of those members who have already walked a certain path here, and who value this experience and skills acquired at the forum. For me it is more important rather than to look for newbies, trying to lure them with merit for some repetitive questions.
Although merits are needed for ranking up, but i think that theymos idea of merit is different from how it is working. Theymos idea of merit does not differentiate a newbie from a legendary member. The merit giver doesn't necessarily need to know the name of the user he is issuing merit to let alone the rank, but strictly on the quality of the post. If a legendary member makes 20 quality posts, those posts could all receive merits while a newbie who made 200 non quality post might not recieve even 1 merit. That is the merit system.
However, the merit sources are not machines, so they have conscience and that is why they see things differently and subjectively. Some at times give priority to newbies while others have high standards and keep recycling the merits among those they think make the quality posts.