Trust is the foundation of all economic transactions, in the real world and on the Web. The crucial difference between the two is that in the real world, we have ways of judging whether our counterpart is trustworthy, whereas on the Web, we usually transact with people we have never met. Especially in the growing sector of peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms, users share very valuable assets such as houses and cars, exposing them to higher risk than in classic e-commerce. According to a recent study by Campbell Mithun, trust concerns are the number one barrier to sharing on collaborative consumption platforms. This indicates that as the sharing economy grows, a foundation of trust between users is necessary to lower their perceived risk of participating in P2P marketplaces. 

I investigated this topic further in my bachelor thesis titled Building Trust in P2P Marketplaces: an Empirical Analysis of Trust Systems for the Sharing Economy. I received many interesting insights by interviewing people from across the globe such as researchers, social innovators, P2P platforms as well as startups attempting to create online trust systems. 

A number of tools that help users judge each other’s trustworthiness online already exists. Five-star rating systems as popularized by eBay are a very common type of feedback system. These ratings are often accompanied by user comments and reviews to provide descriptive information about a transaction. On platforms such as Taskrabbit, identity verification by phone and email as well as background checks are tools used to ensure safety. Further tools that verify identities and let users tap into their existing social networks when joining a new site are social media connect buttons (for example Facebook Connect). Several startups such as TrustCloud, Briiefly, Legit and PeerTrust are attempting to merge these tools into one trust system that allows users to take their online reputation with them wherever they go. 

Apart from these tools my findings suggest that online communities can also foster trust. According to an interviewee, tight-knit communities of people with similar interests, tastes and values can function as a type of trust system. This is the case at the German ridesharing company Carpooling.com, where most users have in common that they are current or former students. 

Guest Blogger: Francesca Pick 

Francesca studied Communication and Cultural Management at Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen, Germany. To read more of her research, please visit the full thesis.

(Source: tradepal.com)

The JBJ Soul Kitchen redefines community by offering healthy restaurant fare and a unique way to pay it forward. In an effort to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty, last October the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation launched its’ community kitchen concept. Focusing on volunteerism with a “pay-what-you-can” option, the unique non-profit community program offers a menu devoid of prices. 

The Red Bank, New Jersey restaurant is inspired by chefs and volunteers who prepare healthy three-course meals while helping out neighbors who are less fortunate. The stigma-free kitchen expands on the sharing economy by offering a dining experience where patrons don’t owe anything, but if they can contribute, the Soul Kitchen will accept cash donations or volunteering in exchange for a meal.

For as little as $10 per meal, the non-profit can cover the cost of a meal, while anything extra will help cover someone else’s meal. Volunteer options include cooking, cleaning, serving others, busing tables and even stocking shelves at the restaurant. Now in its fifth year as a non-profit, in addition to the community kitchen, the foundation partners with local charities and churches to provide support, job skills and housing for those in need.

Kitchen 2 from JBJ Soul Kitchen on Vimeo.

(Source: tradepal.com)

Trust is the building block of any peer-to-peer relationship. The emergence of a universal online reputation index will be instrumental in the growth of collaborative consumption. 

The excellent piece “Aggregation Not Algorithms Is The Key To Establishing Trust Online” by @kusti raises a key debate. 

The Internet is winner-take-all: this debate almost reminds us of FBConnect vs. OpenID in the online identity war of 2009.

It’s not about aggregation vs. algorithms, it’s about aggregation within the algorithm of choice.

It’s not about transparency, it’s about whose algorithm is dominating.

It’s not about the risk of gaming an algorithm, it’s about the ability of the keeper of the index to be constantly engineering the algorithm while everyone is trying to game it.

It’s all about PeopleRank.

Does the general public argue about the semantics of credit scores? They actually follow suit and work to better their scores as it impacts their financial well-being. Their “social score” will impact their online reputation and allow them to participate in the sharing economy.

When it comes down to building an index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is a good example. It’s a price-weighted average index of the 30 largest publicly traded companies in the United States. The reputation index that will win it all, is the one that will be able to select the most relevant types of actions in the social web, and weigh them in a secret algorithm reflecting their relative importance.

That’s serious big data engineering, and this exercise cannot be done in a collaborative way by multiple players: one dedicated startup, whose core business is to build that complex algorithm will dominate the space. 

Blog entry by @karimguessous

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/suteki/475093875/

(Source: tradepal.com)

The New Consumer is seeking to gain a sense of fulfillment by simplifying their lives and taking a holistic approach about their consumption habits.  In 2010, Andrew Benett and Anne O’Reilly launched a study highlighting the permanent shift in peoples’ perceptions about themselves as consumers. According to Euro RSCG’s New Consumer global survey, consumers are embarking on a re-discovery of the basic ideals that were the building blocks of society. As a matter of fact, 70% of the respondents surveyed admire people who live simply, while 71% were actively trying to improve who they are as individuals.

It appears that the New Consumer is focused on limiting their environmental impact while reducing their spending. Indeed, 64% of respondents feel good when making environmentally friendly consumption choices and 70% feel great about saving money. The undeniable trend is that the new consumer is rejecting hyper-consumption in preference for more sustainable alternatives.

One encouraging statistic in this survey is 48% of respondents have stated that they will not revert back to their old consumption habits - even after the economy rebounds. This proves a permanent state of change has occurred in the mind of the New Consumer. 

The New Consumer has made a conscious effort to shift priorities and revolves most decisions around their communities. They want to better themselves, their families and their future. 

Will collaborative consumption become the economic model of the New Consumer as they transform the way they shop and spend? Will they adopt the latest trends in transportation (sharing and renting car and bikes), accommodation (peer-to-peer short term rentals), travel (car pooling), space (workspace, storage, and parking sharing), neighborhoods (tool rental, swaps, garage sales) and work (workspace sharing, part-time tasking)? 

To review the survey, visit Euro RSCG’s New Consumer

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“We cannot run a linear system in a finite planet indefinitely!”, Annie Leonard bluntly states in The Story of Stuff. She even goes further by stating that recycling is not a permanent solution as it does not reduce the waste generated by the production cycle. The materials economy has impacted our wallets while our wasteful behaviors have devastated the environment. Her video compels viewers to evaluate their habits and to make a conscious shift in their consumption choices. 

Is our system in a crisis due to our old school throw-away mindset or are we transitioning into a new era of mindfulness where we make more conscious decisions as we evaluate their future impact?

Formerly reluctant consumers are now adopting the latest trend of selling seldom used items to offset the cost of being fashionable, pay bills or to giveaway rather than dump in landfills.The attributes we were raised on such as thrift, trust and goodwill are definitely making a comeback as the foundation of our communities. Consumers are increasingly adopting new services that allow peer-to-peer sharing, renting, and swapping. 

One intangible benefit from these peer-to-peer startups is they strengthen our communities while minimizing some of the negative impact on the environment. There is a lot of buzz happening around Collaborative Consumption, and 2012 seems to be the year where it might go mainstream, as evidenced by the NBC Nightly News segment ”In a down economy, sharing takes off”, as aired on Jan 15th, 2012. 

We consider “The Story of Stuff” video to be a founding block in the emergence of the Sharing Economy. It has been an inspiration in building our people-centric marketplace at Tradepal. 

(Source: storyofstuff.org)