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The specific trigger to the change of rules, and the subsequent demotion on non-merited Jr. Members back to Newbie, was/is the amount of posts that are created on a daily basis that have little to no value in the content, primarily (but not exclusively) originated by the lower ranks that enter the forum for a quick buck through joining campaigns. While participating in campaigns is each one’s prerogative, the way they do it has become a concern to the forum, and in order to reduce overall nonsensical spam, it is now necessary to earn at least 1 merit to be able to bear a signature.
The post that serves as the basis for the change is this one:
Enhanced newbie restrictions & requirements.
If you think ranking-up to Jr. Member is a difficult quest, imagine what it is like for the higher ranks that require hundreds of merits to reach the next level, and the effort and persistence it requires to do so ...