Computing Reputation Metric in Multi-Agent E-Commerce Reputation System

Trust and reputation systems have recently come into the focus for the virtual environment research to offer online user a decision support mechanisms. Many ofthem are agent-based as they represent a promising paradigm for open, distributed marketplaces. This paper presents an improved distributed agent-based reputation mechanism which contributes in measuring reputation of online providers. The system offers a comprehensive approach as it considers a number of the parameters that have a bearing on trust and reputation (unlike current approaches which tend to be "one issue-centric"). Moreover, it also extends the existing frameworks based on information about past behaviour, with other aspects affecting online trust, taken from the trust taxonomy, such as existence of control mechanisms and supporting organisations, security and privacy strategies, technology and information based factors as well as interaction.