How do you know whether you can trust someone you’ve run across on the web – say, by finding them on Craigslist? That’s the question Divvs is setting out to answer. Currently in alpha, it takes a relatively simple approach to the problem: the more connected you are across multiple networks, the more trustworthy you are. The result is wrapped up in a single numerical “Divvs Rating.” When you sign up, you’re given the opportunity to identify yourself in multiple ways (currently email, mobile phone, Facebook, and Twitter). Each identity is verified (for example, you’ll get a text code to your phone number, to input back to the site), and the more identity juice you have, and the better connected you are, the higher your Divvs rating.
It’s an interesting idea, a sort of formalization of the common practice of Googling people. If it becomes popular, the Divvs rating could serve as a quick way to size up potential collaborators and subcontractors. Of course, if it becomes popular, spammers will also try to figure out how to scam it – but we’re a ways off from that point yet. At the moment, it’s at least a fun exercise in comparing your networking level to those of your peers.
Some employers don’t place a lot of credence on traditional resumes: even a completely truthful resume may not provide a clear impression of a prospective employee’s abilities and skills. WorkScore, which launches today, is a system that allows you to gather documentation and confirmation of your skills from your co-workers, allowing you to offer a potential employer a “social resume.” Read the rest of this entry »
Web Work 101: How To Escape The Cubicle
