Reputation system for web pages and online entities

Abstract

A method for providing a measure of trust for each participant in a network is disclosed, together with a method to calculate it automatically. In particular, a method for rating online entities, such as online identities is provided, which also takes into account the reputation of the raters.

1 . A method for rating an online entity in accordance with a tag, the method comprising:
 arranging the online entity to be rated by a plurality of raters in accordance with the tag;   assigning a rater's score to the raters rating the online entity with the tag, to establish reputation of the raters;   assigning a tag score to the online entity, the tag score depending on
 i) ratings provided by the raters to the online entity in accordance with the tag, and 
 ii) the reputation of all raters rating the online entity with the tag. 
   
     
     
         2 - 3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein assigning a tag score to the online entity is established through a raters/entities tag matrix associated with a graph connecting the raters and the online entity. 
     
     
         5 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein assigning a rater's score to the raters rating the entity with the tag, to establish reputation of the raters is established by associating each rater with one or more rater's web pages or rater's e-mails and rating the rater's web pages or rater's e-mails in accordance with the tag. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein when multiple rater's web pages or rater's e-mails are associated with a same rater, the rater's score is calculated by computing initial reputation of each rater's web page and rater's e-mails separately and then providing further reputation of the rater as a function of each initial rater's score. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the function is a sum of the initial rater's scores. 
     
     
         14 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method to establish trust in e-mail communications between senders and receivers, comprising:
 assigning a trust score to an online entity represented by an e-mail address, the trust score depending on:
 i) amount of communications received by the e-mail address from each sender; and 
 ii) a trust indication of all senders of the communications to the e-mail address. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein assigning a trust score to the online entity represented by the e-mail address is established through a senders/online identities matrix associated with a graph connecting the senders and the online identities. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the trust score further depends on amount of communications sent by the e-mail address. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising sending the trust score of the online identity to potential recipients of communications from the online entity. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising encrypting the trust score of the online entity. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 filtering communications receivable from the online entity based on the trust score.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the filtering is achieved by selecting a trust score threshold. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the trust threshold is variable over time. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein communications are displayed ranked by the trust score or reputation score of the online entity that sent them. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the trust score is further a function of distribution of time delays between a receiver's receipt of communications from the online entity and the receiver's response to the online entity. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the trust score is further a function of distribution of length of messages from a receiver to the online entity as compared to length of messages from the online entity to the receiver. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the trust score is transferable from a first e-mail address of the online entity to a second e-mail address of the online entity. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the trust score is modifiable in accordance with an amount of complaints against the online entity or endorsements in favor of the online entity. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the trust score is a function of senders and receivers, such that senders who have been endorsed with communications or ratings from users that are more trusted by a receiver are more trusted than those endorsed by users that are less trusted by the receiver. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein trust from the receiver radiates outward from the receiver in a network via positive communications or ratings made by the receiver and is diluted with every node away from the receiver. 
     
     
         31 - 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A method for rating an online entity, the method comprising:
 arranging the online entity to be rated by a plurality of raters;   assigning a rater's score to the raters rating the online entity, to establish reputation of the raters; and   assigning a score to the online entity, the score depending on
 i) ratings provided by the raters to the online entity, and ii) the reputation of all raters rating the online entity, 
   wherein assigning the score to the online entity is established through a raters/entities matrix associated with a graph connecting the raters and the online entity.   
     
     
         36 - 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . A method for rating an online entity in accordance with a tag, the method comprising:
 providing an agreement identifier, to allow users to agree with the tag;   providing a disagreement identifier, to allow users to disagree with the tag;   assigning a score to the tag in accordance with a difference between agreements with the tag and disagreements with the tag.   
     
     
         42 . A method to establish reputation of an online entity, the method comprising:
 Establishing a reputation score for the online entity, the reputation score depending on:
 i) positive endorsements received by the online entity; 
 ii) negative endorsements received by the online entity; 
 iii) negative endorsements given by other entities that gave the online entity a negative endorsement; and 
 iv) reputation of the entities that gave the online entity a negative endorsement.