Okay, so today I messed around trying to find another name for those “scissors-lister badge” things. You know, the badges that show up next to someone’s name when they’ve, like, contributed a bunch to a project or whatever.
First off, I Googled a bunch. I started with super basic searches like “alternative names for contributor badges” and “badges for open source projects.” Got a whole lotta nothing useful. Mostly just articles about how to get badges, not what else you could call them.

Then, I thought about what the badges do. They’re basically saying, “Hey, this person’s a big deal!” So, I started searching along those lines. Like, “names for recognition badges” and “terms for acknowledging contributors.” Still kinda vague.
- I tried synonyms for “scissors-lister,” which was a dead end fast.
- Then, I went down a rabbit hole of project management jargon. “Key contributor,” “valued team member,” blah blah blah. Too formal.
- Started digging into gamer slang, thinking maybe there’s some cool term for unlocking achievements or something. Nope. Just a bunch of “pwnd” and “leet.”
Finally, I started thinking about it from a different angle. What if I focused on what the badge represents? It’s proof of someone’s hard work, right? So, I tried stuff like “proof of contribution” or “contribution marker.” Getting closer, but still clunky.
Then it hit me. It’s like a… stamp of approval! So I tried searching for “terms for stamp of approval” and boom! Got some interesting hits. “Mark of distinction,” “seal of excellence,” “token of appreciation.” These were way better than “scissors-lister badge,” that’s for sure.
I ended up liking “Contribution Emblem” the best. It sounds kinda fancy but still gets the point across. Also “Contributor Insignia” ain’t bad either.
So, yeah, that’s how I spent a chunk of today. Turns out, finding a good name for something is way harder than it looks!