Good question, k00b mentioned some competitors #948499 never joined LessWrong, nor Delving (I'm unable to find).

Good question, by default I go for exclusion, so if the reward system is something that is attracting mostly assmilkers and friends trying to get rich quick, I'll try to avoid talking about it to onboard new people.

SN offers a simple tool that enable to create posts. They can be used to post anything, from essays to poems, from news to blog posts. The contest make the difference. They could be used to create and maintain a photographer or designer portfolio for example.

The key for noncoiners to join and receive some "credit-to-be-able-to-post" later is the bio. A good intro in the community means opening the door to be listened. Many users I invite, get this wrong, just create the account, lurk around for a bit and when they realize they aren't able to post without getting credits, they leave.

From my perspective, all the reward system should be put on the side, I'm not saying it should be removed, just that it could be less explicit or hidden somehow. The fact that we don't have a leaderboard is a great sign, this does not mean that users aren't ranked anymore internally. Hopefully we can rename the word "sats" ad find something else to use within SN. Cowboy Credits is fun, but where there's credit, there's also debt. BitcoinTalk use merits as trust system. YT use views and number of subscribers. LessWrong, HN and Reddit use votes.

Obviously these are just ideas, happy to hear your thoughts on it.