Crowdsourcing: Building a Reputation of Trust in a Digital World
Currency of Trust
Dollars. Pounds. Euros. Yen. Francs. Rupees. Pesos. Bitcoins. Currency is typically a system of money for general use that is accepted in societies as having value. However, what if we viewed our most important currency in business and in life as trust? What is the currency we used was our reputation that was built from reviews online?
Crowdsourcing apps and websites are proving that people value reputation more than we ever could have predicted. Users of crowdsourcing apps value trust as a way to measure the value of a service. According to Merriam Webster, crowdsourcing is “the practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people and especially from the online community rather than from traditional employees or suppliers.” In other words, crowdsourcing uses a “crowd” or group of people who work toward a common goal and solve a problem through an innovative approach.
As explained in Spreadable Media, the term crowdsourcing has negative connotations. The term reduces people to follower rather than a trendsetter. Jenkins et al. quotes Jonathan Gray who explains that “If we see audiences, agents, actors, citizens, individuals as crowds, we’re per force rolling them into an undifferentiated bovine mass […] Once a crowd develops something, we use different words to describe them. Once voices of brilliance rise up from a crowd, we give them a new title and extract them from the crowd,” (Jenkins et al., 248). However, let’s take a look at effective and efficient businesses who operate using a crowd of people. In these businesses, people come together to be trendsetters within the crowd.
Uber: Get There
Uber connects drivers and riders together for a seamless commute. The app is a ridesharing business where users request a ride and their request is sent to an Uber driver near them. Once the Uber driver is alerted of your location, they accept the request and come to pick you up. From there, they take you to your detitanation.
But, as a rider, how do you know who to trust to pick you up and take you to where you need to go? And, as a driver, how do you know that you can trust them to be courteous, safe, and respectful of your time? Uber has a two-way rating system that determines your reputation. Riders and drivers give each other ratings ranging from 1 to 5 stars based on their experience in an anonymous way. Ratings become more stable the more trips you take.
Airbnb: Belong Anywhere
Airbnb connects people who want to rent out their home with people who need a place to stay in the area. Hosts can earn income from renting out their homes. Guests can stay in relatively inexpensive accommodations. Airbnb is cheap, customizable, and connected.
But, as a guest, how do you know that what you see is what you get? And, as a host, how can you guarantee that your guests don’t trash your home and damage your property? Again, reputation and trust come into play here based off of ratings. Hosts and guest write a written review of each other after the stay is over. Guests also have the option to rate the host with a star rating for their stay based on 1 to 5 stars for things like experience, cleanliness, value, communication, and more.
TaskRabbit: Revolutionizing Everyday Work
TaskRabbit is an online website and mobile marketplace that lets clients hire freelancers known as “Taskers.” Clients can find immediate help with everyday tasks like moving out, cleaning homes, assembling furniture, and other tasks around the house — and be reassured that Taskers don’t have a criminal record. Taskers can complete a job well done and collect a guaranteed payment for their work.
But, as a client, how do you know the freelancer you are hiring will do the job right? And, as a Tasker, how do you know the client will charge a reasonable price? Once again, reputation based on ratings is here to save the day. Clients leave a rating and review of the Tasker that is honest and factual on their performance.
Trust is Key
In all three of these examples, trust is key to a good reputation. Just like trust forms over time, so do ratings; therefore, your reputation will remain true to your service. Overall, these companies are successful because they “use the power of technology to build trust between strangers,” as explained in the TEDTalk The currency of the new economy is trust (Botsman). Rachel Botsman continues on to explain show collaborative consumption allows us to make meaningful connections that are “built on personal relationships versus empty transactions.” She explains how “reputation is the measurement of how much a community trusts you.”
Crowdsourcing is more effective when it is used as a business model for personal interactions. We are more concerned about our safety, reliability, dependability, and more when we interact with a real person. Rating systems like the ones seen in Uber, Airbnb, and TaskRabbit verify that people are trustworthy. The more people they have provided a service for, the more likely we are to know their trustworthiness due to their good ratings. In the end, crowdsourcing provides cool ways for people to earn a reputation where they can profit from and provide a service for people who trust them to do the job well.
References
Botsman, Rachel. “The Currency of the New Economy Is Trust.” TED Talks, June 2012, www.ted.com/talks/rachel_botsman_the_currency_of_the_new_economy_is_trust.
Jenkins, Henry, et al. “Courting Supporters for Independent Media.” Spreadable Media: Creating Value and Meaning in a Networked Culture. New York, 2018. 229–258.
