I don't rate tags because I find ratings 1) lame 2) useless. Tags are much better, and I use them. Ratings don't say much, if anything, about the quality of a thread because such is very subjective and there are tends to be only positive ratings therefore threads are either good, or unrated/good/bad. Individually thanked posts bear more meaning IMO. In the end, there is choice for preference

On about any active forum I know there are active forum moderators. Mind you, I'm not saying they're all good moderators. A solution is that you can have moderators assign simple tasks without them becoming authoritive or power mongers by having anonymous ones. Admins can still see in logs who did what just in case its required.

Now, you can have moderators:
1) Merging same threads, or closing new threads while topic already existant.
2) Closing a thread because TS didn't prove he adequately searched enough, or because question is already asked elsewhere (similar problem as #1).
3) Update FP to reflect current status of project.
4) Yes, there are a few obvious trolls/flamebaits, but that is the least problem. I like it when people learn to cope with such behaviour. You have to learn to ignore a person, or an argument.

Frankly, I don't even believe Reggie has to ask and appoint. He can do that silently withouting having anyone to know this. Basically nothing will change as it appears for the user except the forum is more clean, while a (potential) moderator cannot get some kind of ego boost by becoming a celebrity (some dramatic people just love being the center of attention) because he/she works behind the screen. Instead, the good feeling is gotten from seeing a clean forum, and that is worth a lot as well.

You can have public moderators too, but then they also have responsibilities to the public, and be able to take criticism.

EDIT: regarding search, is it possible for the search engine to search into the wiki as well?