If we ever build human reputation program, how should it be done?

The discussion about human reputation program is growing fast. We no longer talk about if it will happen, but when it will happen.

China has already started to implement their government controlled human reputation program the wrong way.

Building online reputation system is very risky.

• If it’s done right, we will have honest free society where you can surely know who to trust.
• But if done wrong way, we will have Orwellian totalitarian society where the government will control our lives even harder.

So how online reputation should be build for it to be beneficial and not harmful for the society?

1. Decentralized government proof system

Government nor any other authority will not be able to tamper or edit ratings.

This will also mean that government nor any other authority cannot lower a person’s rating as a punishment or increase as a reward.

2. Voluntary

Online rating program should never be mandatory and everyone will be willing to decide if they want to join it or not.

This however will not forbid to offer incentive to those who have joined it.

3. Mandatory for all government officials

All law enforcement agents, government officials and politicians would be forced to be part of the program. And in case their rating would go below the average they would lose their job.

Not to be in conflict with the “voluntary” rule any government official may leave his office if he does not want to be part of the program.

4. Free

It must be totally free to rate people and to be rated.

5. Equality

• Everyone will be able to rate another person only once (but can still edit his/her vote afterwards).
• Votes all of people will have equal weight.
• Everyone will be able to rate everyone who is in the program.
• Everyone who is in the program will be subjected to rating.
• Only people can rate people. Institutions cannot rate.

Therefore even a homeless person will be able to rate the president and his vote will have the same weight.

6. No intervention

Rating cannot be removed or changed by anyone else except the rater even if it’s acknowledged to be false.

However the rater can always change his rating up and or down even years after.

7. Easy rating system

The rating system should be easy with scale of 1 to 3 or 1 to 5. No complicated forms or text reviews.

8. Positive experience

To avoid obscenity, written reviews will not be allowed. People will also not be able to comment on reviews or messages to other users within the program.

If we ever build human reputation program, how should it be done? was originally published in Hacker Noon on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.