Man this forum is so inactive, it's a real drag

[dukealien]

When the Mods govern, the people are hardly aware that they exist. Next best is a mod who is loved. Next, one who is feared. The worst is one who is despised. If you don’t trust the people, you make them untrustworthy. The Mods don’t talk, they act. When their work is done, the people say, “Amazing: we did it, all by ourselves!” (translation by "Stephen Mitchell", 1995)

Very well stated (distinctly Machiavellian, with a twist or two).  With the enhancement that the way a mod becomes despised is to abuse his/her position to promote or censor ideas which should, instead, simply be part of the flow (this is a problem we seldom, if ever,  have on the Pen but is endemic on all moderated boards).

What we *could* do is zero out all the participation stars and make everyone earn them again.  Perhaps for, or in addition to, different figures of merit such as qualifying critiques rather than simply posts.