An Old Timers Take On Building The Web Of Trust
Mar 27 '01
The Bottom Line The Web of Trust is a useful tool. Protect it, nurture it, participate and enjoy Epinions. The WOT will grow.
Every so often I get an email from another Epinions member asking for advice on building their Web of Trust. I have responded to individual requests to the best of my ability. I have a fairly large Web of Trust that I attribute primarily to the amount of time that I have been at Epinions. I will use this opportunity to share with other members my personal views for building your Web of Trust.
Time
As I mentioned above, the primary factor regarding the Web of Trust is time. I would like to think that it is quality, but quality is simply a factor in the equation. My personal Web of Trust grows ever so slowly, moving ahead two and back one. It seems that some people will only trust you long enough for you to reciprocate, then drop you like a hot potato. However, over time, the forward movement will outlast the regression and you will notice a marked increase in you Web of Trust.
Quality
If you don't produce quality articles, then your time at Epinions probably won't amount to much. A combination of quality, longevity and participation contribute to great success in building the Web of Trust. If you consistently get "Helpful" recommendations on your articles, then you are probably not producing the quality necessary to build your Web of Trust. This is normally reserved for members who consistently produce high quality articles. If you are experiencing this type of rating, I would suggest contacting a few old-timers at Epinions to seek advice for improving your work. You will probably find the other members very receptive to your request, and the information they provide may be invaluable to your future success. Once you have improved your quality, you will probably notice improvements in your Web of Trust. Remember, this may still take time.
Involvement
People don't generally trust each other. This is especially true regarding the internet, where a person can pretend to be anything they want. The Web of Trust is more a system of rating the quality of other member's work, than actual trust. However, this trust can be established by fomenting friendship at Epinions. This can be accomplished in many different ways. You can leave comments on Epinions that touch you in some way, you can join one of the many Epinions "boards" like the one at Yahoo!, or you can email other members who you share a common interest with. As long as these are genuine endeavors and not simply shallow attempts to build your Web of Trust, you will probably notice an increase in your Web of Trust as a result. In real life, the better you know someone, the more they trust you. This can be applied to Epinions, as well. So, go meet someone.
Help Other Members
If you are already an established member, but only visit Epinions in passing, you probably haven't seen much progress on your Web of Trust. Another way to improve the Web of Trust is by offering advice to new members. When you genuinely help a new member, they are often very grateful. This equates to increased page views, as well as Web of Trust. New members seem to hold a special place in their hearts for that old-timer who helped them out when they started, instead of giving them a quick "NR" and moving on to the next new victim. By giving guidance to new members, you increase the participation and overall quality of the website, as well as fostering a good relationship with a new member. So, give a new member a hand and help them develop into a significant contributor.
What NOT To Do
Something I alluded to earlier was the backward movement of the Web of Trust. Just when you reach a significant plateau (Let's say your 100th Trusted Member) you notice the number moving backwards. That can be deflating. You feel like celebrating a milestone at Epinions, and suddenly you notice that you have no longer maintained that level. Why the change? Because there are members lurking about who trust everyone, then, when you're not looking (and usually after you have trusted them back), they remove you from their trusted list. Many people do it. I have noticed that my Web of Trust fluctuates intermittently. As I mentioned earlier, I move forward two and back one. There are members at Epinions who track this type of behavior. If they notice you add and drop them, they will add you to their "Blocked" list, instead. Although I do not have time to figure out who is adding and dropping me, I think it is good that someone out there keeps track.
Final Thoughts
The Web of Trust is a useful tool to evaluate the contribution that a particular member has made to the website, as well as distinguishing the quality and consistency of their work. The Web of Trust also allows us to track (keep up with) members who we enjoy reading. Although I do not think that the Web of Trust is full proof, I believe that it is an excellent tool for Epinions members. If you want to build your Web of Trust, you have to take time to participate fully in Epinions! Please feel free to use the comments section to add any additional advice you may have concerning the Web of Trust.
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