This reflects my thoughts on the matter. This is the core of problem that needs to be dealt with. Sadly, it is a cultural one, not necessarily a technical one. I think the tricks being used on stackoverflow and discourse.org lend a nod to the a possible direction (well done gamification).
Another angle is that part of it too is, at some level, we need to allow for the sillyness that is memes if we are to ever get people involved. Despite its shortcomings, I think there is a lot of good coming out of reddit because it is so liberal. Its worth emulating. It also has a community that helps sequester cat memes into their own areas. Although memes are still a problem on some boards that don’t take pains to avoid them.
Another problem is on-boarding. Any large enough group will develop its own memes and even spontaneously develop ‘enemies’ - which often becomes the proverbial ‘n00b’ which can kill a communities growth over the long term. Consider some science on the matter: The Illusion of Asymmetric Insight – You Are Not So Smart
Also, a relevant quote:
“The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.”
- Winston Churchill
We need to ensure a place that isn’t encouraging people using it as a sounding board or pulpit. Sadly real engagement is hard.