Usability Yes. Social Features, Uh-Oh.

I think barnstars are an interesting lesson. They make people feel warm and fuzzy, but they amount to a personal message. And honestly, they have been devalued. I've seen people get barnstars for producing 3 Featured Articles, and then I've seen people get barnstars for reverting an article. I've seen great editors get barnstars from respected people, and I've seen cabals throw barnstars at each other every time they "win" a battle.

Anything we do to reward people and build that sense of social camaraderie... it needs to have some objective basis. It needs to have some kind of guideline. Otherwise the awards don't mean as much, and they can even become a way to further a battle between factions.

That's why it's a dangerous path to walk down.