I think all content (images, articles, threads, blogs, custom content types, etc.. ) should have some sort of voting mechanism attached to them. It can be something as simple as a thumbs up / thumbs down or a +/-. This will get users interacting with the content of the page, even if they don't have anything to comment on.
Also, this opens the door for dynamic pages to be created based on those votes. For example, I could set up a homepage that has a place for articles, blogs, forum topics, photos, etc.. but set it up so only the content that has gotten the most votes over the last X hours shows up in those locations. I could use this for a homepage or for topic pages based on tags or categories.
Having a dynamic system like this will allow us to grow without the need to have an editor controlling content.
Sorry if this has been suggested before. Either way I think it's a solid idea.