I don't quite get how running such a system on tokens will make it easier to implement or benefit the user experience, or any real advantage to using tokens in this case. Maybe I'm missing something, but I've had to stop myself from trying to over-tokenize stuff a few times now and I think this might be a case of that.
Tokens have disadvantages (barrier to entry, you need Counterwallet, they cost bitcoin to send around...) and advantages (they can represent all kinds of things, versatile functionality, built-in security...) and we need to weigh one lot against the other. Otherwise it's like sticking wheels to everything just because someone has invented the wheel and we now can.
Probably the biggest feature of tokens is that they can be traded or transferred freely between users. This can be both an advantage and a disadvantage, depending on your use case. For example, for certain games with a large incentive to cheat, the ability to transfer tokens can be a big disadvantage unless you are happy for people to buy their way into the game, so tokens might not make sense for game mechanics. On the other hand, if your game prize is exclusive access to the luxurious LTB spa, then making that a token and letting the winner trade it adds appeal.
As another example, say we're developing the LTB limited edition Halloween website theme and selling 500 tokens that give access to that, we actually want people to be able to invest and trade in the tokens so tokens make sense, compared to the cost of sending them, barrier to entry for a non-essential service and whatever..
Again, I could be missing something very obvious, so I'm always interested in arguments on why tokens make sense for any particular application.
TL;DR: We're still discovering how tokens work and what we can and cannot do with them, and they are not necessarily always a good idea. I was having a conversation with @adam on when and when not to use tokens just a couple of days ago:
[14/07/2014 21:47:31] Andrew: We're on the same page. I'm just saying that maybe certain things should not be transferable. Would you agree with that?
[14/07/2014 21:47:37] Adam B. Levine: yes
[14/07/2014 21:47:40] Adam B. Levine: but in theory they all are
[14/07/2014 21:49:11] Andrew: I mean if someone earns "insightful commenter" flair because he continuously gets likes and positive feedback, that's helpful for actually identifying valuable members. So I'm saying we don't want someone to just be able to walk in and buy that.
[14/07/2014 21:50:09] Andrew: If someone is the LTBN Rock, Paper Scissors champion and wants to sell his trophy, then why not.
[14/07/2014 21:50:51] Andrew: That's the distinction I'm making.
[14/07/2014 21:52:29] Adam B. Levine: Ah yes I like that a lot!
[14/07/2014 21:53:00] Adam B. Levine: SO perhaps things like that are reputational and non-tradable but they give you a reward
[14/07/2014 21:53:22] Adam B. Levine: Maybe they give you a token that can be redeemed for a chat access token
[14/07/2014 21:53:30] Adam B. Levine: I don't know
[14/07/2014 21:53:31] Adam B. Levine: gotta eat
[14/07/2014 21:53:32] Adam B. Levine: cheers
[14/07/2014 21:57:39] Andrew: Comparing stuff to the real world is helpful. If the status/power the token or flair confers can be used fraudulently or gives unfair advantage if transferred, then it shouldn't be.
[14/07/2014 21:58:22] Andrew: If I give you a job, I typically don't want you to offload it.
[14/07/2014 21:58:48] Andrew: If you have a reputation, you can't sell it.
[14/07/2014 21:59:19] Andrew: If it's more like property or a general privilege, then transferring is fine.
