People are extraordinarily good at learning how to game incentive systems. Even more so when the incentive system is simplified (badges, points, etc.) and the u

People are extraordinarily good at learning how to game incentive systems. Even more so when the incentive system is simplified (badges, points, etc.) and the underlying problem is complex (fixing bugs). The risk you run with any game mechanics system is rewarding those who game the system more than those who dig into the deeper problems. It would be easy to lose motivation to track down a segfault when another guy earned 20 'points' for fixing 20 sufferer typos, for example. The only way to compensate for this is to have someone actively and intensely assign priorities and estimated difficulties for each bug. Getting this right could take some time and effort, and you still run the risk of undervaluing the little bugs, etc. I think a better system would be 'now that...' rewards instead of 'if then' rewards. Recognizing someone for their contributions after the fact has been shown to be more motivating in the long term than incentives laid out ahead of time. Public, non-systematic recognition for a job well done goes a long way.