This would be very difficult for anyone to achieve unless they already have a big following. Besides that anyone who cares about the forum will see that the merit system is beneficial to the forum as a whole, and has only a few minor issues with it. There's been other forums that have branched out, and tried to compete with Bitcointalk, but consider the history of Bitcointalk, and how its generally run none of them are even close to what this forum is. theymos generally does a good job in allowing free speech, and not being bias towards users.
I understood what you implied, because I am one of witnesses of the switch from second phase of rank system to the third phase of rank system with merits involvements. History of bitcointalk.org's rank systemI am on the way to Hero Member rank. Within less than 2 years from register day
There are 15 Old-era-Newbies already ranked up to Hero Members (based on a table that given by DdmrDdmr, and I am one of them; it is certainly that more guys like me to come.
Theymos actually did a great initiative for the forum. Let's imagine what happened if the forum would not have had merit system since Jan. 2018? Thousands or hundreds of thousands shitposters would have ranked up to Hero Members; and they are powerful spammers; kind of Hero spammers.
Plagiabot and its consequently massive temp-bans are other things contribute to clean up the forum, beyond merit system.
. I only gave a reasonable suggestion you don't have to make a big deal out of it to bring about a discussion (argument). Goodbye. 
