Poker is just one game where simple elements engender deep complexity. It doesn't have to be XP, we can leave that well alone.

To give another example: let's say anyone casting a vote can also submit a number (\d+). A purely optional choice, zero by default means to ignore it. One or two of the smallest unique bids are the winners and will go on to perform an action. The action is just a CSS selector: node highlight for +rep, comic sans for -rep?

The idea is not to arbitrarily gamify everything, it is to provide depth where there is room for contention. One may need to spend a little thought to effect their verdict. The hope is that intelligence might win.

Edit. It suddenly occurred to me that use of the word "intelligence" might have upset someone. Refer back to the previous sentence please: in order to play, one would need two resources: (1) a vote, the price of admission; (2) "a little thought"; meaning a barrier to unthinking participation. That is all. It's just a lottery anyway. Also, let it be noted that the example as such would not work. Too... fidgety, too obscure. But it could serve as a basis. (And if you don't like lottery, maybe some other game. Remember, voting is a game too with its own rules, moves to play, victory conditions.)

Trying to take you serious,

I enjoy reading daily bests and having threads sorted by reps.

The phrase "it's only a game" was phrased for people overreacting by thinking it's a serious measure of competence.

(And we all know nothing was better distributed over mankind than intelligence, everybody thinks he got enough. ..)

Cheers Rolf
_{(addicted to the Perl Programming Language and ☆☆☆☆ :)
Je suis Charlie!}

I'm sorry, you've kind of lost me there...

Are you saying perhaps that there's no need for a feature such as highlighted answers, and there never will be?

That you are perfectly satisfied with the way submissions on PM are scored and presented? That nothing can be further improved?¹⁾

FYI: I select my reading from RAT, sometimes from Sections. Best and Worst Nodes are like the last page of a magazine—comic panels and amusement stuff.

1) I think there are several biases in reputation; they've been pointed out before. Immediate gratification gets votes. More specialized topics get less. IOW, a node that helps a few people just a little outweighs a node that helps one a lot. That's what you get from having a single metric.

Edit. Check the parent also, I've updated.