Do you believe the web is trustworthy enough?
I wrote an article in Ad Age http://adage.com/digitalnext/post?article_id=141731&message=Thank+you+fo... talking about mega trends and how trust must become more overtly operative in the online world.
Note that I think of trust and security as entirely different. So here's my question -- do you think the Internet is trustworthy enough? Do you think that people even think about trust in the online world?
I'd love to know your thoughts.
Judy Shapiro
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Comments
Greetings Judy (BANG BOOM OFF to the MOON),
Yes! We have in fact asked this question & there's often a resounding "YES!"
People DO (& some folk, every freak-in-click) think about the trust of the online world. You'll pardon my Fake-French please, yet, i've seen too many people freakout over something that didn't line up just right, even in a Word document, but take banking for instance, WOW! Some of us normally accept the security measures of these institutions without hesitation. Why? How can we get that amount of trust hooked into EVERY website? Maybe some kind of website where, people sign [in on] the page by clicking 'i am who i say i am' button which connects to a valid email. Wait a minute, is that what the TrustWeb is all about? But then, what about all the email-spam-addresses...etc. Well then, can we hook it privately to people's DMV license or Birth Certificate. We ought to have no problem, if this info is publicly accessed anyway, right? And who are we if we're not open & honest, criminals...?
Second Q asked 1st: NO! The web will NEVER be trustworthy enough. JUST as a person standing next to you at the grocery store appears different than the stranger at a public party (in the dark), trust has to do with a 'feeling' humans get when looking into another's eye(s). What can replace this ANCIENT history check-up? Hmmmmmm. Not so sure; maybe someone [sooner than later] will invent a New Iris Recognition Software...N-IRS...and put it in the open source world for all of US to learn a new type of honesty; i'll coin the phrase if someone wants to share the invention & IP rights with me. Ok B4 i rattle my cage to long....
Thanks for being Judy Shapiro on Demand,
a.
[teamLEOnardo].
PS: Enjoyed your article; must go back now for a deeper read.
Judy, it has been my experience that there is clearly a lack of trust online from the perspective of making connections. From the perspective of information I think there is entirely too much trust, which can be problematic concerning issues of great socioeconomic value. To address the concept of trust in making quality connections through the internet, which is a primary concern of my company (http://www.consumeriq.net), the biggest factor deterring this trust is the ease of entry to online communities. We have a conflict when individuals or groups with bad intentions can infect the integrity of credible resources. If you couple that with the inherent desire for online communities to grow virally then you get a recipe for distrust. The state of the online community will have to take a step towards more quality control mechanisms and barriers to entry if we are to achieve a relative scale of trust, but until quality vs. quantity becomes the mantra of relative success it will likely be a while before that can be achieved. We have taken an approach to work within a qualification based membership program and although our resources from a professional level have been received well, the ability to grow traffic at the lightspeed of the internet is hampered. It is easy to get tempted into more viral activities, but as an early adopter of this quality vs. quantity mentality we find it's a methodology that must be held if we are to attain the credibility and trust we need to become a trusted consumer. only time will tell if it brings the desired results...
Your point is well taken -- too much trust and I contend because they is no way to establish trust in the first place.
We need tools so people have a baseline of trust and the human element of trust can be cultivated and earned. Today though we few technologies to establish trust.
Imagine if any piece of paper can be passed around as a $20 bill. Currency has authentication technology built in so you tell a fake. We have no comparable capability in the online world. I can say I am anyone and pretend to hawk anything.
That's the trust gap today.
Thanks for joining our little group and sharing.
Warm regards,
Judy
Judy,
No problem. My background being in financial services on a corporate level has led to the foundation of my company structure. Making the transition to the online referral marketing business model was and continues to be a difficult model to push due to the lack of trust that you speak about. Educational content is vetted and verified based on the relevance it merits from search engines although however spotty that is, it is at least a safeguard. As we make this uncomfortable transition from handshakes to emails, there are going to be trends that will pull at all the seams and test even the most patient entrepreneurs. My vision for the internet in it's utmost is uncomfortable for most to absorb with the fact that barriers to entry are hard to overcome. Ultimately the focus from a web development perspective must be on introductions and conversions as overtime it's going to be the quality of the resources content and participants that will become the cream as the traffic push becomes a commodity. Best Regards, JMR