I had a wonderful day on Sunday hanging out with some Montréalers and visitor Giles Lane. At one point late in the day Giles and I were sharing some moules et frites at a local brasserie, and contemplating FOAF (Friend of a Friend) and the idea of trust networks in general. We had a good discussion about it, and I can’t begin to summarize what was said, so I will just speak for my half of the conversation and the reflection that followed.
FOAF is a great idea, and anyone who has even a remote interest in meta-data would find it compelling. Creating and distributing information about yourself, in a machine-readable format, is an interesting idea that can be used for much good. (And those behind it seem aware that it is capable also of much evil, and have taken steps to prevent certain information from getting into the hands of spammers and such.)
Trust networks, generally speaking, are also a good idea. Projects like the Trust and Reputation Project aim to look at “metrics for inferring trust over web based social networks, and applications of these ratings”.
It goes without saying that trust is important and can serve several purposes. People trust their partners to support them, trust their favourite coffee shop to serve a good cup, and perhaps also trust that they can be sure of death and taxes. Trust allows planning, and planning enables people to get on with their lives. And when people are looking for trust on the web, brands and friends again come into play. Trust is just as valued on the web as it is in other areas of life.
I think trust is good and worthy to strive for on both banal (the cup of coffee) and sublime (a partner) levels. But I find that somewhere I feel an urge to knock the apple-cart of trust over, in favour of risk. You could say that there’s always an element of risk in your life. You could be struck by a meteor leaving your house in the morning. In some cities, pedestrians face a real risk each time they cross the street. And maybe, there’s elements of trust there too. You trust the probability that a meteor won’t strike your neighbourhood today. You are pretty sure that if the car sees you coming and could stop, that they wouldn’t hit you.
But where risk outstrips trust is sometimes where the best experiences lie. Without a desire for risk and the rewards that it can bring, I would be far less along in life than I am now. This “trust” that I have in risk is why I hope for the best from people whom I don’t know and therefore cannot trust. I believe that the risks that I take having deep interactions with strangers, going to a completely new city to do my Master’s degree in language I don’t know, and random drifts through unknown cities that lead me to a little cafe where I have no idea if the club sandwich is worth the $8 they are asking, are worth it.
But just in case, here’s my FOAF file.