You're confusing 'lower members' with shitposters. Nobody gives a shit about what rank you are but we are concerned with the content of your posts. It just so happens that the forum has been abused en masse by shitposters who obviously start out and now will likely stay at a lower-rank so that's why they get the most shit because they ask the same stupid questions over and over again (what is merit, how do I earn, why was my friend account banned etc and it gets tedious the thousandth time you've heard it). Remember, everyone starts off as a newbie, but those who contribute something will now likely rise through the ranks fairly quickly and those that don't will languish as a lower rank and quite rightfully.
please spend some time in this place, really try hard - then soon you will be qualified to get merits, Until that time comes you will be susceptible to abuse whilst merit farming like this.
He already got a merit before this thread. Maybe he's aiming higher though
![Cheesy](https://bitcointalk.org/Smileys/default/cheesy.gif)
That's because most have solely signed up here because someone sold them this place as somewhere where you could quickly join and easily get paid for doing nothing but posting, and that used to be the case. Now it's not as easy as that and that's why they're outraged. It's like a too good to be true offer, that at first seems to be true, but when you get there there's a catch and that free meal you were after turns out not to be so, and that's always annoying.