Building Trust

The business of the future -- indeed the business of the present -- depends on a network of trust virtually devoid of personal histories and relationships.

Building Trust, by Fernando Flores & Robert Solomon

Niklas Luhmann says trust is a way of managing complexity, and that trust permits us to operate in an increasingly complex world -- especially in a global economy, and on the internet. I've often said that the reason that the internet is changing, and the reason that software such as Flickr is possible is that the psychology of the average internet user has changed. People have seen a lot of blogs, and perhaps have started one. They've joined social networking sites such as Friendster or My Space and have created an online digital identities for the first time. They've bought something on eBay, paid their taxes online, met someone on Nerve. They've gotten confident enough in the internet that they've been willing to contribute their own photographs and music and art. The main thing that has changed is that they trust the internet more, and when you trust, you are able to give.