Another idea is to get back merit rewards. Like spending 2 merits, the receiver will get 1 spendable merit. And the sender will get back 1 merit to their profile. And both should be spendable merits. But if this is implemented, users will reach fast to the next rank. Then the merit limit for rank-up should increase as well. For example, Hero members need 500 merits now; if this is implemented, they should have 750 merits for Hero ranks. That's how it could be balanced. But I feel the first idea is better. No need for many changes to the forum software.
Feel free to drop your suggestions as well.
This paragraph fits the forum current position perfectly, but for me some how members will definitely fines a way to abuse the system and farm accounts if smerits allocations are increased to members who are not merit's sources, let say if the merit's system is upgraded to 1/1 which means if a user receives 1 merits he gets 1 smerit to send our, this could be perfect for the system to at least give forum members to level of Decentralized power on the merits system unlike what we have currently that only merits sources have all allocations.
This will work better and instead approving more merit's sources, theymos should look at giving ordinary forum members some level of sense of belonging in the merit's system unlike what it is, merit's sources are the celebrities of the forum, they decides who rank up, although ordinary forum members are helpful too with their smerits.
But the allocation is very small, increasing rewards for received merit's Is what we need right now.