I'm probably the biggest sMerit hoarder on the forum, and if not, I'm certain I'm in the Top 5. I'm also the Top 1
most generous Merit sender. What does this tell you? Nothing

Merit isn't scarce. Good posts are.
What qualifies as a good post, according to your standards?
I ask so because maybe merit sources should find a way to let the forum know what they stand for; that is their principles and what determines them to qualify a post as quality or not.
In this way, maybe everyone both newbies and oldies would learn to employ this and create better post that would surely warrant the merits and upmovement of this forum in general.