Personally, there’s nothing wrong with whichever method you prefer, but I'm curious, and I'm sure many others, especially newbies, would like to know some tips. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts, especially from merit sources and those who consistently give and receive merits, even if they aren’t merit sources. Newbies are also welcome to share their thoughts here----this is an open discussion for everyone!
I use both criteria but I prioritize content over account history, If the account is not a scammer or a known spammer, I can give him merit.
Our merits are limited because you have to get merits to be able to give them, so its better to give them to those who deserve them, and that is members who contribute good content and have good standing on the forum, I do not support spammers ranking up because meriting their posts will give them an idea that what they are doing is ok with the community.