A recent Sifter comment:

"I love this site because the community is generous and welcoming, but I'll never feel comfortable sifting a video and trying to get votes for it just to gain a 'level' in some such thing.

To this day I still can't downvote videos, promote, or create related links, and to me is more of a confirmation of why such a system is a bad way to reward participation, rather than a motivation to participate further. I went through the popularity-gauntlet enough in grade/high-school, so any system like this rubs me the wrong way."

I think this is a valid criticism of our community. I like to describe VideoSift as a meritocracy, but the evil flip-side of that coin is a "popularity contest". It may be time to make changes that emphasise the meritocracy part of the Sift. We want people to feel like they can participate.

I've heard word that some Sifters feel like they are not equals or not valued enough to do some basic things on the site. Things they get nothing out of but only benefits the site. So as is our way - I'd like to get your input on future changes.

Examples of the kinds of changes we could make are lowering the level required to do basic things like promote or down vote, or even opening up more types of invocations.