In SO, it works to an extent, though it’s hugely flawed. And since it’s a self-moderating system, there has to be some way to prove you’re a trusted user.

To get to 3k productively, the trick is to manage your favourite tags well. There are many genuinely interesting questions there. They’re just not in the vanilla php, javascript, c# or java tags. Start following quieter tags where you can help, and you’ll get points soon enough.

In the mean time, you’ve got enough rep for voting down and reviewing first posts. These are valuable tools to help keep the SNR down.