I agree that "Grab the badge" is an insufficient call to action.
However, replacing that with a different phrase with the same general
idea will leave you no better off.
Instead, since the site is already issue-centric, tell the potential
badge-grabber what they will accomplish by getting the ba
I don't think the companies you mentioned should even be considered
exceptions to the rule. Facebook and 37signals both practice
self-centered design. 37s uses all their own products internally, and
I imagine most Facebook devs are the right age to be on Facebook. By
testing their designs against
Guillermo,
I'm still a student, so take anything I say with a grain of salt.
That said, I might think about keeping the sidebar and using it as a
means to filter searches further. Depending on the weight your
sidebar has in the overall design, removing it altogether may be a
jarring change for som
