A Reliable and Useful Information Distribution System: the "Kuchicomi Network"

As the Internet and mobile Internet have been expanding widely, we can now obtain many kinds of information easily and in large quantities. However, it is still difficult, for example, for tourists to get reliable and useful information about locations that they have never visited. In this paper we propose a reliable and useful information distribution system, called the “Kuchicomi Network,” to provide “kuchicomi,” or word-of-mouth, information that is supplied by local informants through mobile phones or PCs connected to the Internet. We introduce the concept of, and business model for, a “Kuchicomi Network” and explain the system structure. We then describe features of the system and outline the development of a prototype system.