Hi CCS and all,
This conversation has really developed into something truly
stimulating and thought provoking. What I am seeing is that there
appear to really be 2 issues here
A)The customers (participants') need for privacy and transactions
based on reputation and
B)The need to protect the existing merchants/MM's from crooks etc.
IMO point A) is adequately dealt with by the e-gold (type of) system;
i.e. I know when I get paid in e-gold I have the value, and all is
well, I don't need to know the reputation of the payer at all. There
does however seem to be a need there for a merchant reputation
system... as the buyer I need to know the merchant will deliver.
But point B) is a little more sticky...
MM's/e-gold/SR agents are dealing in a world where cheques, credit
cards etc. create a REQUIREMENT for ID, EITHER using the instruments
of the system (SSN, DL etc.) OR using an "anonymous" reputation
system...
BUT, anyone who has a credit card or cheque account is already deeply
ensconced in the "system" and is obviously not TOO concerned about
privacy anyway. I would hazard a guess that the VAST majority of
e-gold users would enjoy the convenience of being able to fund their
e-gold account using a CC...
Fact is, any method of payment to an MM (besides cash in hand) leaves
a trail back to the payer. Even an "anonymous" reputation system that
allowed me to accept a CC or cheque from someone without knowing his
identity, would result in the banking transactions revealing his
identity to me, so there would be really no point in using the
"anonymous" system in the first place!
Thus, unless the buyer was using cash to pay me, it would be pointless
to use an "anonymous" reputation system, and if he was using cash to
pay me... I wouldn't need to know his reputation anyway!
Regards,
Sidd.
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