Feature request: track notable quotes from comment authors, and display them on a “Top Commenters” page, and on the commenter’s public profile page.
Quotes are selected by (optionally logged-in, with X reputation) users.
E.g., click “Save quote” while some comment text is selected. Quote is saved, along with which comment it came from and position within comment. Now a subtle Quote indicator is displayed at that position. Other users can flag the Quote as poor quality, or as misleading out of context. Flagged Quotes can be removed. Users can also like the Quote, increasing its rank and the commenter’s global reputation.
The commenter can disable quote tracking to opt out if desired.
I’ve not seen this implemented anywhere. Maybe that means it’s not wanted, but I think it could be great for discussion forums where people come for the comments just as much as the content.
Used charitably, it would highlight and celebrate those pithy comments that epitomize the community culture, and encourage thoughtful contributions (similar to ircnick++ karma tracking on some well-run IRC community channels).
Used trollingly, it would present a distorted view of commenters via quote mining and be a tool for bullies.