This study investigated the characteristics and formation of the online social
trust network of Epinions.com, a general consumer review site. An analysis of
the static structure of this social trust network revealed a high clustering coefficient,
short average path length, and power-law degree distribution; it is
therefore a small-world and scale-free trust network. The dynamic evolutionary
characteristics of the online social network (OSN) were also examined.
The results showed that the scale of the network followed a sigmoidal curve;
the average degree of the network was nonconstant and changed into a
bell-shaped distribution; the density of the network decreased and subsequently
stabilized; and user trust diffusion in the network conformed to the
Bass model. Finally, the formation of trust within the network was researched
at the overall network (macro) and individual user (micro) levels. Compared
with their accumulated contribution and reputation, user activeness had a
larger effect on trust formation in OSNs, indicating a “diminishing returns”
phenomenon. This phenomenon contrasts with the Matthew effect (i.e. , the
more reputation a person has, the more likely he or she is to be trusted) in
real-world social networks.
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