METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SOCIAL TRUST NETWORKS ON MESSAGING PLATFORMS

A social trust network is implemented in combination with a communication network capable of monitoring one or more parameters of communications. The social trust network includes a database containing trust data and possibly profiles of respective entities can be searched to return identities of entities such as subject matter experts with whom a user such as a decision-maker may wish to communicate; which communication may be facilitated by communication contact information corresponding to entities returned by the search. A plurality of trust metrics are computed from the trust data and search results are ordered based on a weighted sum of trust metrics, possibly including ratings of entities, where the relative weights may be manipulated at the will of the user. The monitored parameters of such communications are represented in data stored as trust data in a database which is thus adaptively developed through use of the social trust network.