What are badges in Stackoverflow?
Badges are a way to recognizing users who contribute to Stackoverflow. There are many ways to contribute, and consequently, there are many badges. There are three levels of badge ranking. Bronze badges are relatively easy to get, and often help teach users how to use the system. Silver badges are more difficult to earn, and can be gained for things like extremely insightful questions and answers, as well as a dedication to moderating and improving the content of the site. Gold badges are the most difficult to earn. Badges a user has earned are displayed on their user profile, and are summarized next to the users’s gravatar, listing just the numbers of gold, silver, and bronze. The badges a user has earned don’t have any effect on the site, they are simply a sign of accomplishment and bragging rights. The user’s abilities are governed not by badges, but by reputation.
