I've had an idea that should encourage more awesome: REWARDS. Now, I don't currently have much expendable income (Though I expect that to change soon, while also expecting that expectation to be false.), but I suspect $50 given to the top commenter (after a several days wait) could make for some nice incentives. Thoughts on that?
Communal donations to the reward pool could ease my personal burden, and increase the scope of the prize as the scope of participation also increases.
note: I'm not doling out rewards for this thread, but I may implement something in future threads.
edit: I'm offering you money and getting negative feedback because of it... cool. :D
That sounds like a fantastic way to expose perverse incentives in the karma system, but there are probably cheaper ways of doing so.
In an attempt to encourage more people to actually do awesome things (a la instrumental rationality), I am proposing a new monthly thread (can be changed to bi-weekly, should that be demanded). Your job, should you choose to accept it, is to comment on this thread explaining the most awesome thing you've done this month. You may be as blatantly proud of you self as you feel. You may unabashedly consider yourself the coolest freaking person ever because of that awesome thing you're dying to tell everyone about. This is the place to do just that.
Remember, however, that this isn't any kind of progress thread. Nor is it any kind of proposal thread.This thread is solely for people to talk about the awesomest thing they've done all month. not will do. not are working on. have already done. This is to cultivate an environment of object level productivity rather than meta-productivity methods.
So, what's the coolest thing you've done this month?