First-come, first-serve
that's the simplest and easiest way to go about doing this, no matter the size of the project.
I would also like to reiterate that, it's rather intimidating for a new member to post on a thread while a lot of veteran members are in heated discussion. (i.e. this current discussion) I'm not asking you to stop the discussion, as it is producing some good ideas as well as discovering problems that need fixing, but maybe take it somewhere else.
Lastly, about icons. My own philosophy about icons:
Icons are just like karma, they are earned. 'nuff said.