Hey everyone, I just realized I completely missed this thread back in November, apologies for the delay!
Matt J., love the direction you’re thinking here. A few thoughts from my side:
Tiered trust levels (like Andy suggested) make a lot of sense. It balances recognition without implying full endorsement. You could tie “Champions” or “Verified” status to observable behaviors (e.g., consistent contributions, completing profile verification, participation in projects) rather than subjective judgments.
Transparent criteria is key. If people know exactly what qualifies someone as “Verified”, it removes ambiguity and liability while still encouraging engagement.
Optional verification steps (email confirmation, profile photo, social presence) could be automated with some AI checks, making it low-friction but meaningful.
Integration with Slack/Connect Channels or internal workflows could help make verified users discoverable without creating formal obligations or endorsements.
Essentially, it seems like the sweet spot is to highlight members who meet community-defined standards, make the process transparent, but keep ultimate responsibility with the agency or collaborator for their due diligence.
I’d love to hear what you ended up doing with this, curious how it’s evolved since November!
