Your suggestions are nice though but this can only be considered in the view that users are fond of allowing their acquired sMerits decayed in their custody due to selfishness or laziness of giving them out to other users but I find it hard to believe majority does that if not few. That's even if really there're them who're deliberately, carelessly or ignorantly doing that. But if there be, I think such users doesn't know the worth of recognition in awarding posts with merits.
I'm even worried about what would prompt a user exhibiting such act. Or likely assume they aren't aware they earn sMerits after earning from other users? 

Of course the meriting system isn't seem new in the forum especially to those who've experience here.
However, applying this ranking up suggested system will exceed after users are ranked up to Legendary just as earnings more than the designated amount of earned merits before being a Legendary rank doesn't exceed the Legendary rank to above.

Think about this; if users not earning merits activities doesn't count at this course, it automatically means their contributions to the forum aren't recognized.




Have put some thoughts into facts. So if implemented,it's going to make the view of users merit histories look technically tedious.
Don't we friendly enjoy the current merit historical view?
Of course you make too good senses because it takes much long time for Theymos to approve merit source and the forum needs it more to encourage users to keep up with quality posts.

That sure a responsibility of every users not only merit source is expected. I also think it takes lot of resources for the forum feature developers to generate sMerit before Theymos allocates it to merits sources then becomes waste of resources if users holds their sMerits up to decaying.
So if users could release their sMerits, I don't think we'd seek much number of Merit source as it's current.