<p>Since we are part of the larger Stack Exchange family of websites, I knew duplicates would be an issue well covered already. Duplicates about duplicates on two Metas, oh, the irony.</p>

<p>Required Meta Stack Overflow reading <a href="http://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/52530/are-duplicates-creating-broken-windows">here</a> and <a href="http://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/65742/finding-a-system-to-handle-duplicates">here</a> and <a href="http://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/32311/do-not-delete-duplicates">here</a> and <a href="http://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/36366/please-provide-a-table-of-duplicates">here</a>.  </p>

<p>My preference going in to this was to see users asking and answering duplicates lose reputation when the duplicate was closed. I don't care as much now, though I still wish more would spend time improving existing Q&amp;As. Merging can only be done by a select few, but we can all edit and improve questions. Do so, it lessens the burden for moderators. </p>

<p><strong>I propose a 'De-duplicator' badge, or some other way of rewarding those that take the time to seek out and link to dupes.</strong> This takes a lot of effort, many of us do it religiously, and there is no recognition nor reward granted.  </p>

<p>Rewards need to be based on a very high percentage of your dupe flags being accepted (maybe 90-95%?), to discourage reckless flagging.</p>

<ul>
<li>20 Dupes closed in one day with your 40 flags? Not bad Tiger. Here's
a bronze.</li>
<li>200 in one month? Is that a silver badge in your pocket or are you
just happy to see me?</li>
<li>One thousand duplicates flagged correctly? B-I-Double-G-I-E <em>De-Double-duplicator</em> come on over here and get your gold medal.</li>
</ul>