Badges of Verified Identities and Authorships Tell Our Stories and Build our Personas
Twenty-four years ago, I published a book on how engineers and scientists build their expertise and skills.
The book has now earned me the “Verified Book Author” badge of Medium.com, the place where I regularly write blogs about sustainability, knowledge management and systems thinking.
I found out the badge does make a difference in practical experience. More good things have come my way: more good conversations with other authors and readers, more recognition for my content, more interesting pointers to other content.
I tell myself I have not changed. Being a book author or being a verified one does not make any difference, right?
However, we unconsciously may find it hard to ignore the sense of distinction, flattery and pride earned badges may have on the badged person. Or we exploit it more than we consciously dare to admit.
Soldiers earn medals for missions and bravery. Students and athletes win first, second and third place achievement medals. High visibility people gain knighthoods and memberships of Orders of states, kings and exclusive societies. Managers gain three or more word job titles. Online platform members gain colourful badges and checkmarks.
No one is indifferent to a pad on the shoulder every now and then. Social structures reinforce themselves by offering rewards and other gamification tricks. They create and maintain ladders of importance. We happily accept the pomp and feathers.
Badges and public recognitions signal our stories. And they contribute to building them. They create rapport, both in social structures and in online platforms. They are differences that make a difference.
