Automated Trust: The Harper Certification System
How Liana Banyan Codified Reputation into Algorithmic Selection
Abstract
Traditional quality assurance systems rely on centralized authority to appoint auditors. This creates bottlenecks, bias, and single points of failure. The Harper Certification System introduces automated trust — a multi-factor weighted algorithm that selects auditors based on demonstrated behavior rather than appointed authority.
By anchoring Auditor status to a 3-tier selection vector — Builder Longevity (40%), Quality Validation (40%), and Joule Collateral (20%) — we have effectively codified trust into executable code. The theoretical “Fortress” is now live, functional software.
1. The Problem with Appointed Trust
Traditional Model
Central Authority → Appoints Auditor → Auditor Reviews → Authority Validates
Weaknesses:
- Bottleneck: Authority must personally vet each auditor
- Bias: Selection influenced by relationships, not performance
- Single point of failure: If authority is compromised, all audits suspect
- Scaling limits: Cannot grow beyond authority’s capacity to manage
2. The Harper Solution: Weighted Multi-Factor Selection
The Formula
$$Score = 0.4B + 0.4Q + 0.2J$$
Where:
- $B$ = Builder Longevity Score (normalized 0-100)
- $Q$ = Quality Validation Score (normalized 0-100)
- $J$ = Joule Collateral Score (normalized 0-100)
Why These Weights?
| Factor | Weight | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Builder Longevity (B) | 40% | Time cannot be faked. 12+ months of active project history demonstrates sustained commitment. |
| Quality Validation (Q) | 40% | Past performance predicts future behavior. A 5-star average from completed projects shows they understand the standard they’ll enforce. |
| Joule Collateral (J) | 20% | Skin in the game. Having 1,000+ Joules locked in a Stake Account means misconduct has financial consequences. |
3. Technical Implementation
The implementation (HarperCertificationBadge.tsx) provides:
- KISS 3-Tier Display — Quick, Standard, Deep views
- Real-Time Eligibility Check — Dynamic scoring
- Conflict Avoidance Protocol — Geographic and sponsorship disqualification
- Progression Levels — Auditor → Senior → Master → Grandmaster
4. Conclusion
The implementation of HarperCertificationBadge.tsx proves that trust can be automated. By defining clear, measurable criteria and weighting them appropriately, we remove human bias from auditor selection while maintaining rigorous standards.
The theoretical Fortress is now live, functional code.
Full paper available at: [LAUNCH_DOCUMENTS_MASTER/articles/PAPER_AUTOMATED_TRUST_HARPER_CERTIFICATION.md]