Here is my proposal:
Theymos or the Mods to send one informative message to all the users here in the forum with just a simple explanation or a link to the new rules.
What are the positive sides of this action:
-The information will be available to everyone no matter when you gonna log in again, tomorrow or in two years.
-When you receive a PM you also receive an email about it, so it's almost no way to miss this one out.
-The people will reduce the posts like "What is merit", "How can I get merit", " Why I got neg. trust for giving merit" and so on..
-This will reduce the spam and the time for adopting the new system.
-We can concentrate to more important topics and hunting merit in a Meta section will be reduced.
Please point out the bad sides as I see none.
I think 90% of the users aware of the system are trying to hunt it in some way even that they don't what to confess it. It is a competition now. I hope this will change by the time, we'll see. I know many of you will accuse me in the same thing, that I'm after the merit. Yes, I am but not so desperate like other here. I just want to earn it by the time and the effort and if I deserve it.
So this will be my last topic here in the Meta section,regarding the merit system.
IMO,I think it is not necessary to inform everyone about the new system,you already stated it.(from the second bold sentence)
If this would be done then i suggest to inform it to newbie,jr.member and member as they are the most who keeps asking this question again and again that sometimes irritating.
It is just base on my opinion,let the higher ups decide about your proposal.