Book Review: Building Web Reputation System

Book Review: Building Web Reputation System by F. Randall Farmer and Bryce Glass: Publisher- Oreilly: ISBN- 13: 978-0-596-15979-5

Book is primarily originated from the work of yahoo reputation systems employed across various applications. Book also gives examples from eBay, Digg and other systems but strangely leave reputation systems employed by NetFlix, social media (facebook, orkut, etc) and Microsoft.

In initial chapters book focuses on building a graphical language for reputation system. Authors have not leveraged other dominant graphical languages namely BPMN and UML which make things little bit different and difficult.

The primary audience for book are product designers and up to an extent product evangelists.

Book is divided into three parts. Part one focuses on Reputation Systems definition and developing graphical language. Part two covers some advance aspects of language and examples. Part three divulge into details of some of well known reputation systems. Appendix A is devoted to technical details of reputation system (of course yahoo).


Book is light read but certainly deserve an attentive read and particularly from product designers and who ever involved in product conceptualization.


Disclaimer: I did not get paid to review this book, and I do not stand to gain anything if you buy the book. I have no relationship with the publisher or the author.

One can get more information about book and related topics from:

1. Book’s web presence http://buildingreputation.com
2. Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Building-Reputation-Systems-Randy-Farmer/dp/059615979X
3. Oreilly: http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780596159801
4. Google Tech Talk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn7e0J9m6rE
5. One more review: http://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2010/07/book_review_bui.htm