Patent ID: 8312276

Claim:
A controlling method for a network reputation system having an application server, a reputation evaluation unit, and a query and response unit, said method comprising the steps of: producing master social network information of a user via a social network of said user, the master social network information including a personal identity of said user, a service identity that said user registers with an application server, and a matching key of said user; sharing and exchanging social network information of said user with a plurality of people having a social relationship with said user in said social network over the social network, the exchanged social network information being generated through conversion of said master social network information and including a matching item computed from a cryptographic hash function of said matching key by a computer of said user; sending an evaluation of reputation submitted by said user about an estimatee by said reputation evaluation unit to said application server, said evaluation including an evaluation value evaluated by said user about said estimatee, a service identifier of said estimatee and said matching item of said user; sending a request by a person from the plurality of people having said social relationship with said user by said query and response unit to said application server for the evaluation about said estimatee, the request utilizing a private matching scheme derived from said matching item of said user; generating an evaluation result about said estimatee by said application server, said evaluation result being derived from said request, said matching item of said user, said evaluation value evaluated by said user, said private matching scheme, and the evaluation submitted by said user; and replying to said person with said evaluation result about said estimatee by said query and response unit, wherein said person obtains said evaluation value evaluated by said user from said evaluation result by using said matching item of said user.