Virtual Digital Reward System for Site Donations or Other Contributions

Starchaser's Take (Recommendations)

For lack of a better name, and to avoid naming it after something that brings up the connotation of money, the reward generated will be generically called fruit (as site denizens are already called nectarines).

The reward system should have the following qualities:

• An obvious achievable goal that many users will want to earn nearly as often as they're able.
  • Thus it should also be meaningful, rather than a trophy or a "digital sticker."
• Earning the goal must require users to spend their fruit.
  • Thus it must not have a cost so high few are able to earn it.
  • However as an anti-annoyance mechanism this cost must also make it difficult to earn super frequently.
• Contributing to the site should generate small amounts of fruit, such as .02, for things like the following:
  • Uploading new images to objects (artists, albums, etc.)
  • Adding new information to objects (songs, artists, etc.)
  • Editing and updating information on objects
• Fruit should also be very easily transferable to other users in recognition for doing things by way of tips on uploaded images, forum posts, song comments, other tangible contributions, or by direct transfer.
• Users must be free to tip for any reason and in any amount they choose.

Tipping is kind of important here, as even if a user amasses more fruit than they can reasonably spend on the goal or goals, tips can show that people appreciate them.