Provide mechanisms that recognize the value added to the community by contributors.

Motivation and Usage

A common personal motivation is to be respected and acknowledged by peers. For some wiki users, this may be a major influence on whether and how much they contribute. Showing that people’s work is appreciated may encourage them to contribute more.

Examples

• Record the author of all edits
• Allow others to rate the quality of contributions
• Show statistics on the extent of a user’s contribution, e.g. number of topics for which they are the primary author, number of edits, or peer assessment rating (Reputation Points, Karma, etc.)
• Mark user profiles with roles such as Moderator, Guru, or MVP