From its inception, a primary use of the Internet has been to engage people in social interaction. From email to Usenet to instant messenger, some of the most popular applications have focused on building community and aiding in communication. Yet, while these systems are quite popular, the architecture also restricts the types of social interactions possible online. Online mediums are quite valuable for quickly sharing data, but they prove limited in providing the support necessary for building community. Community requires trust, yet building trust online requires understanding how trust is built and designing systems accordingly (Bos,.
