Reputation system

The reputation system ranks providers based on objective performance metrics and community feedback. The system ensures transparency and incentivizes providers to maintain high-quality service.

Reputation System Overview

The reputation system is composed of two primary components:

1. Objective Reputation Score: Derived from the provider's compliance with SLA requirements specified in the Smart Contract and QoS records.

2. Community Reputation Score: Based on feedback from users (services) who have used the provider's services.

Each component contributes to the overall reputation score, which is used to rank providers in the system and is summarized in the Provider's record of the Smart Contract.

1. Objective Reputation Score

The Objective Reputation Score reflects a provider's adherence to SLAs and performance metrics. It is calculated using data collected from QoS records and SLA compliance checks.

Scoring Mechanism

• Providers start with a baseline score of 50 points.

• Positive Adjustments:

  • +1 point for each day the provider meets all SLA requirements.

  • +2 points for exceptional performance (e.g., exceeding SLA benchmarks by 20% or more).

• Negative Adjustments:

  • -1 point for each day the provider fails to meet any SLA requirement.

  • -2 points for critical failures (e.g., downtime exceeding 1 hour in a 24-hour period).

Floor and Ceiling

• The score has a minimum of 0 points and a maximum of 100 points.

Decay Mechanism

• To prevent older performance records from having undue influence, scores decay by 1 point per month if no new QoS data is recorded.

2. Community Reputation Score

The Community Reputation Score reflects consumer satisfaction and trust. It is derived from user feedback and ratings.

Feedback Collection

• Users can rate providers on a scale of 1 to 5 stars after using their services.

• Optional comments allow users to provide additional context or report specific issues.

Scoring Mechanism

• The Community Reputation Score is calculated as the average rating from all submitted feedback.

• Providers must have at least 10 ratings for their Community Reputation Score to be publicly visible.

Weighting Feedback

• Recent Feedback: Ratings from the last 30 days are weighted more heavily than older ratings.

• Verified Users: Feedback from verified users (services) is weighted more heavily than unverified feedback.

3. Combined Reputation Score

The overall reputation score is a weighted combination of the Objective and Community Reputation Scores:

Overall Score = (0.7 × Objective Score) + (0.3 × Community Score)

Rationale for Weighting

• The Objective Score has a higher weight (70%) to ensure providers are primarily judged by measurable performance.

• The Community Score (30%) adds a subjective element, reflecting users trust and satisfaction.

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Reporting and Transparency

Provider Dashboard

• Providers can view their reputation scores in a dashboard that includes:

  • Objective Reputation Score with detailed SLA compliance data.

  • Community Reputation Score with aggregated feedback and trends.

Public Visibility

• Users can view a provider's Overall Reputation Score, along with badges for exceptional performance (e.g., "100% SLA Compliance for 6 Months").

Dispute Resolution

• Providers can dispute inaccurate feedback or SLA violations through a formal process, which includes re-evaluating QoS records or reviewing user complaints.

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Incentives for High Reputation

• Priority Listing: High-reputation providers appear at the top of user search results.

• Performance Bonuses: Providers with consistently high scores may receive reduced fees or other benefits.

• Trust Badges: Visible indicators of reliability (e.g., "Top Performer").

This system ensures a balanced approach to evaluating providers, combining hard metrics with user trust to create a fair and transparent ecosystem.