[ArnoldP]

I think badges only work if there is actual wealth/value behind them. No one will use them as true status symbols, rather just fun things, and they should be priced as such.

What I think twitter should do is act as a notary of sorts, and the badges would reflect real world accomplishments, like being graduated from a certain institution, membership in a professional group, etc. Something that gives your comments more weight. People/institutions would pay for this.

[yoodenvranx]

Have a look at reddit.com/r/bodybuilding and see how many Instagram pictures are posted there everyday. Especially stuff like bodybuilding or the female fitness models are all about status. Or search on Youtube for "Rich kids of instagram", all of them would buy status badges like that. Also the whole hypercar and car tuning scene on Instagram is all about status.

And if kids see the 500$ black VIP badge of their Instagram heros then they will most certainly invest 5$ or 10$ to get at least a low level badge.

[untog]

Sure. But the way people use Instagram and the way Instagram officially endorses using their product are two different things. If they internalized expensive badges I suspect it would damage their brand quite a lot.

[civilian]

Huh, yeah. Notarizing personal stats, that's something. I wonder if Linkedin has thought about doing this. Is there a good way to authentic people's college degrees en masse?

edit//: Found this: http://nscverifications.org/welcome-to-verification-services... but obviously it would be working in the reverse--- as a job candidate I would shell out 20 bucks to have a shiny badge of my education institute and my certificates.

[marincounty]

I'm beginning to think, that in order to make big money in this American economy, we need to think like the masses?

Maybe take that old IBM laptop in the closet, and repeatedly bang it over your head. More than three hard times. Really--Really hard! Enough to cause some physical damage.

Then build something like that Kardashian app?

I was shocked to find out people spend money buying clothes for her digital likeness? It makes the Pet Rock look like a conservative investment?

(I don't know much about the app, but maybe we are overthinking what people will spend their money on?)

[yyhhsj0521]

Exactly what Steam is doing with its badger system