I think it is worth discussing what the purpose of a badge is.

It seems to be part recognition but also part gamification. That is, getting a badge encourages participation by rewarding participation.

Rewarding entry level behavior can increase participation.

register for WP.org account
attend a meetup
answer question in the forums
attend a WordCamp
participate in a help session

People all start somewhere and having more, small rewards can lead to more and more participation.

Updating the badges to reflect levels can also help with this.

Tldr; I agree.