Thank you. Based on a conversation last night I was going to write about this too but it is definitely better coming from you.
It would be great if there were a few trusted verification sources, admins and a mark on the profile as verified. For example a check mark next to the profile image.
Sorry, but what is the point of verification?
There are many different ways to verify, the one in the article is just an example. When it comes to most people, they have many various social media accounts, business websites and emails etc. Most people weren't thinking they would create them for a future verification purpose.
It isn't foolproof but there is at least an attempt to verify. Even if one gets around it, they still need to produce decent content consistently. It isn't an automatic upvote once verified, especially from @acidyo.