Overview
Reviews are one of the three core mechanisms in Ethos (alongside vouching and slashing). While a single review has a minor impact on someone's credibility score, reviews compound over time and carry different weights depending on who's writing them.
How Review Impact Is Calculated
Several factors determine how much a review moves someone's credibility score:
Review sentiment: Positive reviews increase the recipient's score; negative reviews decrease it; neutral reviews have no direct effect on score.
Reviewer's credibility: Reviews from users with higher credibility scores and tiers carry more weight. A positive review from an "Exemplary" user matters more than one from an "Neutral" user.
Volume: Individual reviews have a minor effect, but consistent positive (or negative) reviews from multiple credible users create a significant cumulative impact.
Community voting: If the community upvotes or downvotes a review, this can counteract or diminish its weight.
Positive Reviews
A positive review signals to the network that you trust or respect someone. When you leave a positive review:
The recipient's credibility score increases (amount depends on your own credibility).
The review is visible on their profile for others to read.
Community members can upvote the review to reinforce it, or downvote it if they disagree.
Negative Reviews
A negative review signals concern or distrust. When you leave a negative review:
The recipient's credibility score decreases.
The review is visible on their profile as a warning to others.
If the community broadly disagrees with your negative review, it may carry less weight.
Neutral Reviews
Neutral reviews allow you to comment on someone without strongly affecting their score. They're useful for providing context or observations without passing judgment.