You could add an HTTP header or something called Karma. Numeric value, positive or negative. There's a rather large database of it that's very near to me, and it makes for a nice interface for changing karma. There's modern day bots for messenging, and adapted to this, you can at least display it in your templates with plugins (yay MovableType). I'd be willing to click a javascript: that said "+1 this url", too! rating systems combined with standardized categorization systems is the next generation of what we call a "library": distributed, driven by opinion, yet inclusive of all.

A public list of categories you subscribe to is infinitely cooler than a list of individual sites, because then you have a live connection to the world, through categories that everyone understands.

It might also be useful to map categories in DMOZ to the categories in the Dewey Decimal System. It gives the libraries free entry into the world of the Internet, in a controlled and limitable and reviewed fashion. Restrict sites by DMOZ category; suddenly banner sites fail, external images break, and surfing becomes feasible.

I feel that people will make money simply by having a social network. It's almost like you can't make money until you find your social niche, and then you start making money. I dunno. Maybe I'm just optimistic, or missing the point — but it's a lot of fun to hope, for now :)

In the real world I have no way to tap the online world of reputation, and so I'm always wary of the people. I guess I've become too accustomed to being able to ask my friends "who's this". If I'm introduced by a friend, well, that I can do; but there has to be that bridge. It's very cool that the online world has found a way to do this; I'm having so much more friend discovering friends now :) This blogging things is awesome.

In some fashion bloggers could be telling parts of their stories, in whatever form they feel best. Instead of going home and telling the kids about your day, you blog about it. People care; this is how you find friends, in normal social gatherings — it's just that you have to expose some part of yourself, and that choice too has an effect on reputation.

A friend told me to read your post, and I did; it's awesome, and I've saved it in the reader.