[WikiEN-l] Trust vs. Credentials (was Re: Accountability:

[Daniel P. B. Smith]

> From: "Slim Virgin" <slimvirgin at gmail.com>
> A kind of "rate this user" thing, as on e-bay?

Ugh. No no. Eeewwww.

I assume people know how this works on eBay. Feedback comments and  
ratings are wildly, wildly, wildly inflated.

Your average Feedback profile will be 99.9% positive, with comments  
almost entirely like

"Great communications, payment and response. AAAAA+++++ Thanks for  
the business"
"Excellent ! Super fast contact and immediate PayPal payment. Thank  
U! AAA+++"
"Great eBayer! Will ALWAYS Recommend... Thanks a Million!"

A single "neutral" feedback is an eyebrow-raiser. More than three or  
four "negatives" that are not from obvious kooks in a thousand  
entries and if they're not from obvious kooks is a great big red  
flag. An entry like "Shipping a bit slow, arrived damaged,  
replacement OK" means "you'd be crazy to deal with this seller."

P. S. (Lest anyone think this is sour grapes, my own feedback profile  
is 98 positives, no neutrals, no negatives).