I don't mean any harm nor want to direspect anyone. This is just my insight about the new merit system. The new system is useful for removing spammers, but is not friendly to all mediocre users here.
1. Newbies are affected of all. They are not yet knowledgeable enough to have quality posts thus have low chance of being given merit points. This will make it difficult for them to rank up. Much more difficult and quite unfair since those who started here with the old rules ranked up easily (not to mention those who are already in Sr., Legendary, and Hero).
2. Jr. Members can't put links in their signature.
3. There are speculations of people buying and selling accounts here. It seems like the new merit system made some people in this forum even more toxic and greedy. Let us all be fair guys.
4. Some question other people giving merit to posts of other people saying "Merit points for that kind of post?!". I think giving merit points to other people is purely personal choice. If a person thinks that post helped him even in little ways then let it be. It was his own personal choice. A lot may think that there is nothing so valuable about that post but maybe to the one who gave it some merit, it is.
That's all. I think the old system and the new system have both positive and negative sides. This is just my insight. Again, I don't mean to disrespect anyone. This is my opinion only. If this violated any rule, I am more than glad to take this post down.