I was in the middle of some great General Tsou's chicken and the final battle in The Last Samurai when the phone rang. I paused the movie, swallowed and answered. It was a fundraiser for the wrong cause at the wrong time.

I wanted to be able to vote "thumbs down" on the caller, to affect their reputation, to reflect my frustration at their interrupting my breakfast (yes, breakfast).

Like other social networks, Skypenet users can benefit from an online reputation system. In the before, during and after Skype moments, you want to avail yourself of a caller's reputation.

• As part of a Skypenet enhanced caller ID, you want to screen potential callers. Screen using a bozo filter and white lists; for authentication (this is the real Michael Jordan calling); and for contextual screening (this call is for business vs. social vs. activism vs...).
• During a conversation you want to assess trustworthyness by context, for example I might trust you to sell me a collectible BB gun (an eBay rating) but not to watch my kids.
• As part of hanging up, I might want to give feedback to the caller, the caller's employer, the caller's professional network, et al; voting as closure.

Like on eBay, your reputation becomes an asset worthy of defending, so socially normed behavior follows.

As we become concerned about SPIT and telemarketing, reputation systems may play an important part and be a clear business model.

Questions:

1. Whose existing reputation systems do you trust?
2. What new ones would you like to see?
3. Which social norms for communication cross cultural borders?
4. And which don't?
5. Does Skype fail to meet or support cultural norms for telephony? How?