Boris Dorestand <bdorestand@example.com> writes:

> I wonder if the following could ever work. Say we propose an experiment
> in a new network of newsgroups, where each post passed from server to
> server is only accepted if the post is crypto-signed by a whitelisted
> identity. So a fool comes in with his identity and misbehaves, he gets
> a bunch of down votes from different identities and reaching its
> threshold that identity is banned forever. The messages the fool posted
> all remain, sure. Of course, we must discourage them from creating a
> new identity, which is not quite possible, but we can make account
> creation a really long process, say a year, unless you get an invitation
> from a well-respected member and the track of invitation is always
> public. If the fool comes back a year later (by creating a new
> uninvited account) then the person gets a second chance. As soon as the
> problem reinitiates, that identity is banned again forever. So this is
> a network where an identity is expensive and should be cared for, but if
> you got friends inside then it's cheap.
>
> I'm sure people have even better schemes than that. Why none of this
> has ever been tried on the USENET? Too foolish?

Are you talking of web of trust?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_of_trust