If you want to get merit, you must have qualifications. If senior members benefit from reading a qualified person's post, then he will definitely get merit. And if there is no benefit in reading a person's post, then how will he get merit. So it is clear that a qualified person is merit.
Not sure what you mean by "qualification", but I'm sure some users will read this as you have to have some sort of physical paper qualification to be able to receive merit, or even express your outlook on things, which isn't true. Anyone who puts effort into their posts will receive merit given enough time, and exposure. You don't even have to be particularly that knowledgeable about Bitcoin, as many users here have demonstrated.
Of a truth, some users earns merit very cheaply! You might be shocked at this statement but yeah, some users actually do!! On posts created without taking anytime and research and boom, they've been merited mean while, you've been putting effort and yet, nothing to show for it!!! I don't mean you per say @OP in this context but, its just how things are at times.
There's definitely a variation in the amount of merit given, and if merit is given between users, but I think that's a good thing rather than a bad thing. That creates diversity, and hopefully creates a more decentralized approach by spreading the merit between the user base, rather than concentrating it only for the
best posters.
However, there's definitely observations to made on certain types of behaviour which results in more merit, and certain parts of the forum which generate more merit, which is likely linked with exposure, and how tight knitted that part of the community is.
