We’ve seen how Unvarnished is setting out to create a kind of “Yelp for people” where you get reviewed as a person whether you like it or not. Now a new startup has appeared hoping to do something similar, but this time within a network that will give it significant traction from the word go: LinkedIn.
Here’s how it works: A user of Duedil will be able to submit comments or “reviews,” whilst other users will be able to “reply” to them by deeming them “fair” or “unfair.” In other words it’s a kind of ‘karma reputation’. Since the reviews themselves are subject to the scrutiny of other users, the reputation system itself becomes the focus of the system, rather than the object of the reviews (you).
Users are able to share specific reviews and invite others to join the Duedil community. They will also be able to report inappropriate content and view what other members are saying about them. Users get prompted with two questions to answer: What does this person do well, and how could they improve?
The idea is that this directs users to leave constructive criticism, reducing the risk of bias by forcing them to answer both positively and negatively rather than allowing them to choose one or the other.
The system then tracks people’s comments and organises them as well as – at least they claim – preventing users from creating fake profiles.
Over the next few weeks they’ll introduce a reputation algorithm to allow the app to to distribute value to appropriate content and devalue content that is abusive or inappropriate.
It’s hard to say how it’ll work in practice until it has more users, but right now it feels slightly fairer than a ‘Yelp for people’.
Here’s a video of how it works:
Introduction to Duedil.com from P Damian Kimmelman on Vimeo.