GMing at home is one animal, and I think that with the current system of always getting an AR when you judge that you can put on any character, the system works pretty well. Personally, I would like to see some kind of point system also put into effect, and after a lot of points, some form of appreciation be shown, because I know many situations where one person seems to do all the judging. Sure, when they do play their character is comparable to the those that play all the time because they have their judge certs, but it seems like after you've judged like 100 modules you should have something. Maybe be able to burn extra judge certs as an additional fate point in a module or something, with a limit of one per module or something - so either put the judge cert on a character, or be able to burn it (or five of them, or ten) as a fate point, not both.
GMing at conventions is a much bigger deal, because there is usually a significant cost outlay to attending a convention, even when a judge judges the crazy amounts required for the free badges and housing. Also, for modules, I think there should be a bit more of a perk if you don't get to slot zero it, but if you do it pretty much goes down like home play, though I could see some reward being willing to lay out cash to come to judge. Specials are even more of a different animal. You are never going to get to play it, and it is a major campaign changing event (sometimes), and it is one of the few time you can do something unique.
When you play a module at home and you fight a watch-a-mahthing, after you subdue it, you can say capture it, feed it, and try to do x,y,z to it, but none of that really matters because its not covered by the module and you just can't really do it. At the specific campaign special events, when campaign staff is present and running it, it is when you can really get your crazy on. If you do it right (or wrong) the campaign will react, and behead you if you wear a robe of icky eyes into an important shindig, or tell you what happens if you choose to cannibalize your opponent, or do any other number of crazy things you might do. If they think it is appropriate, they can whip up a cert and make whatever crazy thing you did have real impact on your character. I live for those moments! (I've kicked myself every time I've played since last Origins, that after freeing some creatures in the lavender way, I didn't leave the module and run off with them, and call over Henry at the time to witness it. I just didn't think fast enough at the table.) And you don't really get those opportunities if you judge the special events.
So I think the fact that one is loosing the chance to do something unique should be rewarded by something interesting, though I'll admit I don't know what. I thought I heard that the table of record at the ultimate end of year 1, the unique table that created the val'Sosi was a table of judges. You can't get better than that! I certainly wouldn't expect that level of awesomeness, often, because it would lead to too much of a disparity between judges and players. But something seems appropriate.
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