Interesting application of reputation to market-based economies. Doctorow's article won't be a surprise to anyone who lived behind the Iron Curtain during socialism.
The State held information on every citizen, and all official transactions resulted in stamps and signatures in little booklets. The stamps and signatures were a proxy to reputation. Don't have the 40 years worth of stamps in your employment booklet? That's a problem for your retirement. Know the right people with the right connections? You get a better apartment than everyone else.
The State held information on every citizen, and all official transactions resulted in stamps and signatures in little booklets. The stamps and signatures were a proxy to reputation. Don't have the 40 years worth of stamps in your employment booklet? That's a problem for your retirement. Know the right people with the right connections? You get a better apartment than everyone else.
Plus ça change...