If you're already in the "Beginners & Help" (aka B&H) section, you should really have read the sticky posts at the top like this one: Newbies - Read before posting
There is a LOT of very good information in that thread... like this:
What forum account levels are there?
There are multiple account levels on this forum, here is a quick list for all of them and how to get them:
Rank | Required activity | Required merit |
Brand new | 0 | 0 |
Newbie | 1 | 0 |
Jr Member | 30 | 1 |
Member | 60 | 10 |
Full Member | 120 | 100 |
Sr. Member | 240 | 250 |
Hero Member | 480 | 500 |
Legendary | 775-1030 | 1000 |
You get merit points when someone sends you some for one of your posts. For more information, checkout Forum ranks/positions/badges and Merit & new rank requirements.
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That last link leads to a post by theymos describing the merit system and how it affects ranks. This post starts with: