The Social Cost of Cheap Pseudonyms

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/71559/1/j.1430-9134.2001.00173.x.pd

Challenge Problem: Agent-Mediated Decentralized Information Mechanisms

Pervasive computing, driven by faster, cheaper and smaller devices, and wireless networking technology, promises to make people perpetual users of a massive and decentralized computational system. Pervasive computing blurs the boundary between the physical and the virtual. Information, always cheap to duplicate, now becomes cheap to generate everywhere. At once both the opportunities, such as for data mining and collaborative ltering, and the dangers, such as for privacy abuse, are clear. As a challenge to the agent community this paper proposes the development of agent-mediated, decentralized informationprocessing mechanisms, that enshrine the principles of information property rights and provides economic incentives to support efficient information sharing.We discuss the complementary roles of markets, informationdegradation and aggregation, and reputation, within such a mechanism, and propose a straw-man model.Engineering and Applied Science

From Social Data Mining to Forecasting Socio-Economic Crisis

Socio-economic data mining has a great potential in terms of gaining a better understanding of problems that our economy and society are facing, such as financial instability, shortages of resources, or conflicts. Without large-scale data mining, progress in these areas seems hard or impossible. Therefore, a suitable, distributed data mining infrastructure and research centers should be built in Europe. It also appears appropriate to build a network of Crisis Observatories. They can be imagined as laboratories devoted to the gathering and processing of enormous volumes of data on both natural systems such as the Earth and its ecosystem, as well as on human techno-socio-economic systems, so as to gain early warnings of impending events. Reality mining provides the chance to adapt more quickly and more accurately to changing situations. Further opportunities arise by individually customized services, which however should be provided in a privacy-respecting way. This requires the development of novel ICT (such as a self- organizing Web), but most likely new legal regulations and suitable institutions as well. As long as such regulations are lacking on a world-wide scale, it is in the public interest that scientists explore what can be done with the huge data available. Big data do have the potential to change or even threaten democratic societies. The same applies to sudden and large-scale failures of ICT systems. Therefore, dealing with data must be done with a large degree of responsibility and care. Self-interests of individuals, companies or institutions have limits, where the public interest is affected, and public interest is not a sufficient justification to violate human rights of individuals. Privacy is a high good, as confidentiality is, and damaging it would have serious side effects for society.Comment: 65 pages, 1 figure, Visioneer White Paper, see http://www.visioneer.ethz.c

U-ATM: An Autonomous Trust Model for Exploring Ubiquitous Collective

Ubiquitous e-service is one of the most recent links in the chain of evolution that has characterized the different eras of the internetworking environment. In order to leap the trust barrier for the user to embracing these ubiquitous e-services, we propose an Autonomous Trust Model for exploring collective wisdom in the ubiquitous environment (hereafter termed “U-ATM”) as an instance of ASEM. ASEM (Ambient e-Service Embracing Model) addresses the core elements (of relevance to the integrated concern of trust, reputation and privacy) required for assuring such desired features as convenience, safety, fairness and collaboration for mobile users when they engage with ambient e-services. The U-ATM highlights the distributed peer-to-peer interactions under an ad-hoc network composition. It especially accommodates the dynamic short-lived identity characteristics and lightweight computational capacity of mobile devices. The U-ATM we have developed is based on the ZigBee architecture as a collaborative application in the upper layer of the ubiquitous environment. U-ATM design concepts are elaborated and evaluated. A simulation is conducted. Simulation outcomes for trust decision quality enhancement show significant improvement over traditional designs. U-ATM makes it possible for users to collaborate with the nearby user groups for establishing a reliable and trustworthy interaction environment. It also facilitates and empowers the potential benefits of various ubiquitous e-service applications

The implications of shared identity on indirect reciprocity

The ability to sustain indirect reciprocity is an example of collective intelligence. It is increasingly relevant to future technology and autonomous machines that need to function in a coalition. Indirect reciprocity involves providing benefit to others without guaranteeing a future return. The identity through which an agent presents itself to others is fundamental, as this is how the reputation of an agent is considered. In this paper, we examine the sharing of identity between agents, which is an important and frequently overlooked issue when considering indirect reciprocity. We model an agent's identity using traits, which can be shared with other agents, and offer a basis for an agent to change their identity. Through this approach, we determine how shared identity affects cooperation, and the conditions through which cooperation can be sustained. This also helps us to understand how and why behavioural strategies involving identity function are put in place, such as whitewashing. The framework offers the opportunity to assess the interplay between the sharing of traits and the cost, in terms of reduced cooperation and opportunities for shirkers to benefit

Zero-Knowledge Proof-of-Identity: Sybil-Resistant, Anonymous Authentication on Permissionless Blockchains and Incentive Compatible, Strictly Dominant Cryptocurrencies

Zero-Knowledge Proof-of-Identity from trusted public certificates (e.g., national identity cards and/or ePassports; eSIM) is introduced here to permissionless blockchains in order to remove the inefficiencies of Sybil-resistant mechanisms such as Proof-of-Work (i.e., high energy and environmental costs) and Proof-of-Stake (i.e., capital hoarding and lower transaction volume). The proposed solution effectively limits the number of mining nodes a single individual would be able to run while keeping membership open to everyone, circumventing the impossibility of full decentralization and the blockchain scalability trilemma when instantiated on a blockchain with a consensus protocol based on the cryptographic random selection of nodes. Resistance to collusion is also considered. Solving one of the most pressing problems in blockchains, a zk-PoI cryptocurrency is proved to have the following advantageous properties: - an incentive-compatible protocol for the issuing of cryptocurrency rewards based on a unique Nash equilibrium - strict domination of mining over all other PoW/PoS cryptocurrencies, thus the zk-PoI cryptocurrency becoming the preferred choice by miners is proved to be a Nash equilibrium and the Evolutionarily Stable Strategy - PoW/PoS cryptocurrencies are condemned to pay the Price of Crypto-Anarchy, redeemed by the optimal efficiency of zk-PoI as it implements the social optimum - the circulation of a zk-PoI cryptocurrency Pareto dominates other PoW/PoS cryptocurrencies - the network effects arising from the social networks inherent to national identity cards and ePassports dominate PoW/PoS cryptocurrencies - the lower costs of its infrastructure imply the existence of a unique equilibrium where it dominates other forms of paymentComment: 2.1: Proof-of-Personhood Considered Harmful (and Illegal); 4.1.5: Absence of Active Authentication; 4.2.6: Absence of Active Authentication; 4.2.7: Removing Single-Points of Failure; 4.3.2: Combining with Non-Zero-Knowledge Authentication; 4.4: Circumventing the Impossibility of Full Decentralizatio

Web 2.0 and micro-businesses: An exploratory investigation

This is the author's final version of the article. This article is (c) Emerald Group Publishing and permission has been granted for this version to appear here. Emerald does not grant permission for this article to be further copied/distributed or hosted elsewhere without the express permission from Emerald Group Publishing Limited.This article was chosen as a Highly Commended Award Winner at the Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence 2013.Purpose – The paper aims to report on an exploratory study into how small businesses use Web 2.0 information and communication technologies (ICT) to work collaboratively with other small businesses. The study had two aims: to investigate the benefits available from the use of Web 2.0 in small business collaborations, and to characterize the different types of such online collaborations. Design/methodology/approach – The research uses a qualitative case study methodology based on semi-structured interviews with the owner-managers of 12 UK-based small companies in the business services sector who are early adopters of Web 2.0 technologies. Findings – Benefits from the use of Web 2.0 are categorized as lifestyle benefits, internal operational efficiency, enhanced capability, external communications and enhanced service offerings. A 2×2 framework is developed to categorize small business collaborations using the dimensions of the basis for inter-organizational collaboration (control vs cooperation) and the level of Web 2.0 ICT use (simple vs sophisticated). Research limitations/implications – A small number of firms of similar size, sector and location were studied, which limits generalizability. Nonetheless, the results offer a pointer to the likely future use of Web 2.0 tools by other small businesses. Practical implications – The research provides evidence of the attraction and potential of Web 2.0 for collaborations between small businesses. Originality/value – The paper is one of the first to report on use of Web 2.0 ICT in collaborative working between small businesses. It will be of interest to those seeking a better understanding of the potential of Web 2.0 in the small business community.WestFocu

The Limits of Trust in Economic Transactions - Investigations of Perfect Reputation Systems

nonetrust, reputation systems, eBay

Litigating Labor Rights Across a Demilitarized Zone: The South Korean Constitutional Court as a Forum to Address Labor Violations in North Korea\u27s Kaesong Special Economic Zone

South Korea heralds North Korea’s Kaesong Special Economic Zone as a shining example of inter-Korean cooperation. South Korean corporations at Kaesong combine South Korean expertise with North Korean labor. However, Kaesong operations violate the North Korean workers’ labor rights. This Comment explores the legal mechanisms available in South Korea to hold violative South Korean Kaesong corporations accountable. The South Korean Constitutional Court should entertain a constitutional petition from the North Korean workers. Such petition will compel the South Korean government to recognize the North Korean workers’ rights under the South Korean Constitution and hold violative South Korean corporations at Kaesong accountable through stricter regulations and sanctions. Practical and procedural obstacles hinder Kaesong workers from pursuing relief in the South Korean Constitutional Court. First, the North Korean government bars the workers from leaving North Korea. Second, the South Korean Constitutional Court bars third parties in South Korea from filing a petition on behalf of the workers. Third, the court has no clear jurisdiction over constitutional claims brought by North Korean workers in North Korea. Fourth, the court bars suit under pseudonyms, leaving potential petitioners vulnerable to retaliatory employment action. Given these impediments, the Constitutional Court and the South Korean legislature should look to international developments in procedural law that facilitate transnational rights litigation. The court and legislature should adopt new court procedures that permit foreign petitioners physically absent in the jurisdiction to file in the Constitutional Court. Further, the South Korean government and South Korean shareholders of Kaesong corporations should take measures outside the courts to hold the corporations accountable