Price your Name

this harvard biz school research found that a good reputation on eBay was worth a 7.6 percent higher selling price for the same set of 200 items. this is nice, quantitative support for a trust-based system of identities.

it makes me remember the Visa check card advertisement, where Kevin Bacon runs around trying to find 6 people who know him, each other, or the store clerk to allow him to pay by check without a picture I.D. it’s a comical picture as you see him run all around town, but i couldn’t help thinking that the same thing could be done in cyberspace immediately and without hassle. it’s all about networks.