Many of us feel that there is a potential to only earn merit from the merit sources here in the local board when you start a topic, not when you engage in another topic or discussion that has already been started.
Is not that many feel you can only earn merit when you create a thread, but that's the sincere true fact about it, as you have a higher chance of been merited, than only when you engage on others people's thread. But also only when you create a meaningful thread for discussion that solve or provide a solution to a vital issue affecting members of of this forum or the Bitcoin community at large. But however, it still shouldn't discourage you from engaging in meaning discussion too.
I dey see many topics wey engagements suppose dey, but as we plenty for here, engagements go cun dey few. E nor too good like that.
In regards to this question, it's obvious that this days people are more selective on the very type of threads they engage on, and you can't blame them, judging from how most threads are been moved to Off-topics days after it was published. So people are scared of wasting post on threads that will be finally be moved to Off-topics, unless if it's discussion is focused on Bitcoin
Let us try engaging in topics created even when we have topics of our own to start.
Then create threads that is Bitcoin fully focused or that discuss a related issue affecting Bitcoin, it's wallet, community or latest news about it's exchange. And I'm sure people will be glad to engage in such discussions