User blog comment:Theevina/Badges disabled/@comment-2194058-20120730023659

Badges are just one way to encourage users to edit. It should not be abused in any way, meaning you should earn them with hard work and fairness. The Leaderboard is nothing of great importance. Badges aren't important in wiki editing; it does not prove anything.

If we were to enable it, all your badges will still be intact, and you may resume where you last stopped. However, if abused once more, we may consider disabling it permanently. Badges are a privilege and should be treated with care.