I believe the merit system requirement to gain 1 merit to become a jr member was a step in the right direction however, I don't believe it went far enough. I would like to suggest a change in the amount of merit it takes to rank up for most of the levels.
Jr member = 5 merits
I believe 1 single merit is not enough to stop the spammer. With people now selling merit this rule is to easy to skirt as it stands. Requiring 5 merits will make it too costly to purchase merit and pushes the break even far far down the line putting anyone who attempts this in a position to take a loss. The spammers need to have skin in the game if they want to play. Imagine loosing a $200-300 dollar account. Now the good guys finally start winning. This is where the moderators and "volunteer sheriffs" can really hurt the pockets of the spammers instead of gaining moral victories.
Member = 10 merits
I love 10 merits for Members. 10 merits is very obtainable within a reasonable time period and gives the casual poster a chance to grab a few more stakes for his good posting.
Full Member = 50 merits
100 seems like way to much merit to gain full member status. I think when someone achieves 50 merits they should be rewarded as a full member. You just don't stumble on 50 merits for being a spam poster. 50 merits is a real contributor and I feel like they deserve a bigger slice of the pie at an earlier stage.
Sr. Member = 100 merits
Same reasoning as above for the full member. How many of the senior members pushed out a legit 100 merits for good amazing posting? 100 merits is a stout number and huge achievement. At 100 merits if your not senior in position and knowledge then something is broke in the system.
Hero Member = 250 merits
I would cut this in half from 500 to 250 to make it more obtainable. Once again if you get a natural 250 merits I feel that is enough. That's a huge accomplishment that many on this forum cannot make.
Legendary Member = 500 merits
This is for the freaks of nature. 500 merits is truly legendary. I don't think we need to go up into the 700+ to get there. 500 seems like way more than enough for this class to take the biggest slice of the pie come bounty time.
I find the new merit rules and the drama which has unfolded to be very interesting to watch and ponder. I thought relaxing the rankings and upping the merit in the beginning stage would reward the real posters and contributors earlier while really putting the punch to the spammers.