Another thing worth mentioning here is that, despite my quality posts and a lot of supporters, I'm not sure I got the merit. Is that too subjective?
My conclusion is that the merit system of the forum is too vague and too dependent on others. And this has resulted in a lot of money being spent to buy merit from the black market and that number should not be small. I think it's more changeable and clearer. I also want to be able to rank well for what I contribute
The merit system affects the rank of the account and only.
You do not need to buy on the black market, sooner or later it will become obvious and you will have negative trust, then you will not be able to participate in most bounty companies.