Re: May I take a stab at a metaphore? (Was Re: Single model or

> Or consider this not-very-hypothetical:  [...I've built up a
> reputation on the list...]  So, in desperation, I send this mailing
> list an ad for diet suplements.  Since I have had a lot of
> correspondence with this list back and forth, it is likely I have a
> good reputation.  But my change in fortunes has induced me to throw
> away my reputation for some short term, crass commercial gain.  True,
> it takes some work to establish a reputation and probably a spammer
> wouldn't work that hard, but still.....

I don't see this as a problem with reputation systems, at least not as
they apply to spam.  If the only spam we got were from those with whom
we had a history of ham correspondence, there would be no spam problem,
or at the very least it would be nothing like what we have now.

This is one of the strengths of reputation systems: it is hard and slow
to build up, and easy and fast to lose, a good reputation.  (Of course,
this aspect of reputation also has a downside; I'm thinking in
particular of its effect on newcomers to the community, whichever
community is is that's under discussion.)

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