This ecosystem thus, without some form of strong mediation, resembles not so much the democratic system that the whuffophiles imagine, but is potentially more like a Feudal system with robber barons and their bands roaming round the social net mugging defenceless digital peasants (or at the very least lording it over them and forcing acquiescence to their ways).
(via Karma Chameleons and the danger of whuffie based feudal systems - broadstuff)
Based on my facile understanding of game theory, I’ll posit that if all social capital influencing actions are networked (i.e. one action influences the value of another action) and visible to other game players, then that is all the mediation the system needs.
