[p2p-research] alternatives to ebay, request for input

[Michel Bauwens]

This request by Adam received no respond, thanks for having a second look:

see http://p2pfoundation.ning.com/forum/topics/ebay-alternative

for background:
http://p2pfoundation.net/P2P_Exchange_Infrastructure_Projects

material on peer trust via:
http://p2pfoundation.net/Special:Search?search=trust&fulltext=Search



Adam writes:

I would like to see something serving the same function as ebay but with the
following differences:

-only allows you to view items for sale by people you "trust", or people who
people you trust trust or people you trust trust trust (and so on ad
infinitum).

-instead of leaving negative feedback, you make a complaint a bit like a
lawsuit. You say how much the other party has to pay to settle the issue (if
the item you paid for never arrived then you would ask for a refund, or
whatever you think is fair). If they do not pay your price then you apply
the same complaint to whoever connected you (indirectly) to them. If they do
not think your complaint is reasonable then they won't pay and if they don't
pay, then you disconnect from them (stop trusting them). If they think your
complaint is reasonable then they will pay and will in turn complain to
their contact, and so on. The idea being that the system "learns" which
people have shared standards and values, and so you tend more and more to do
business with people with similar honor as yourself. It would also encourage
even dishonorable people to start being honorable just because it's good for
business.

"ebay alternative" was just a way to introduce this principle. It could and
should be applied to information also. Currently information is centralised
by website, not by user connection. This is crazy.

This idea is similar to Charles Bloom's Network of Trust
http://www.cbloom.com/NoT.html

There are many possible projects like this that all depend on a "friend of
friend of friend etc." network. The only one I can find with a working
prototype is ripple protocol.

Why can't I find any other working prototypes?

This question is discussed more thoroughly on the ripple discussion forum:
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/rippleusers/browse_thread/thread/c...<http://groups.google.co.uk/group/rippleusers/browse_thread/thread/cef119524ef5b4ef#>

Adam

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