I really like the idea of polls, I think that they would get a better idea of where people stood with actions then just their votes for a good idea (where do you host is one that immediately comes to mind) (do you have funding) (how many startups have you been involved in that have failed)

..mostly I'd like to get some stats on the community in general, and polls are a good way to do it...

As for the karma idea, I think polls are more valuable to newbies than many others, so a karma threshold may not be the right answer.