Lesley Anderson

Trust and Reputation - How is it achieved?

Analyse and comment on other aspects of online trust and reputation  that you feel are worth discussing across any TWO online communities. Consider how design for usability, sociability and sustainablity can help to foster trust and build a reputation among users especially the pragmatists, conservatives and skeptics.

Diego Gambetta

http://wiki.uni.lu/secan-lab/Trust+($28)Diego+Gambetta($29).html

Beginning as a closed network for American students, Facebook was perceived as safe by users who networked solely with friends. Opening Facebook up to the rest of the world brought issues that challenged user trust.

Seemingly from other users -

• phishing scams - WALL postings linking to urls mimicking Facebook accounts
• friend spam - people asking to be friends but really wanting you to sign up for other services

 Others from within the facility -

• text alerts sent to the wrong people
• linked advertisement systems - broadcasting user purchases made from affiliated sites on their WALL.
• Treatment of personal data such as   
  • inexplicable loss or disappearance
  • inability to delete personal data from deactivated accounts

Discovering these glitches, I questioned participation and wondered why Facebook is still well trusted, was recently announced within Truste’s top 10 sites - www.truste.com and  a world user-base topping 300million in Sept.2009. 
Both usability and sociability are high on the reasons why. 
Facebook is easy to join and use, offering  ‘connection’ to others across the world.  It caters for  fast moving lives, where computer use is ever present,  allowing frequent message posting and reciprocation to WALLS - rather than making contact less frequently by other methods.
Facebook has encountered problems, yet the privacy section covers them, stating age limits and user rights and responsibilities - how many people actually read the fine print? 
There is also a page at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=555062239&ref=name#/facebook?ref=pf   dealing with  current software or user problems and there is no fear of media releases  such as
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90781/90877/6742651.html  reporting on Canadian legislation set to change how all personal data will be dealt with on the site.
Acceptance by sites like Truste build Facebook’s reputation and credibility in user eyes, showing that they are working on problems adds to perception of expertise and honesty - “we aren’t perfect but we are doing something about it”.  Users also perceive that the majority of experiences are positive and decide to ‘follow’ - taking risks with the site, which they might not have taken otherwise and add constantly to the overall level of trust in the site. Read the rest of this entry »

Make a up a social profile at two new social networking sites,
using one from each list or from any you found online.

Liz Evans - a fellow  member of Red Pod created a Ning site for our pod. Consequently I have created a new social profile there and I have also created profiles at  Twitter and Diigo in an effort to expand my Personal Learning Network. 
After installing a plug-in to my blog that enables me to insert tables - for my last posting, I am now trying to link my Twitter page to my blog - I definitely enjoy a challenge!

My Experiences with Online Communities - 2

In my quest to discover and learn about Folksonomies, I realised just how involved the topic is. I managed to get my FOAF - Friend of a Friend - file completed and will be interested to see if or how that all works. The concept behind it is great, but in my mind I am still trying to get my head around the idea of trying to connect everyone who uses the world wide web in some way. I found it a little obscure, but perhaps I don’t fully understand it all? Read the rest of this entry »