Former rugby star turned entrepreneur, Clyde Rathbone, has joined forces with his brother, Dayne, and software engineer Monish Parajuli to establish a new Web site known as Karma.
This people-rating start-up aims to provide a platform where users can create a public profile of themselves while also rating others. Those reviewed can also respond to criticism or praise about themselves.
According to the Web site, Karma will allow people to recognise and thank those who have offered a great service while also alerting the public of those who are potentially harmful. The site works in the same way as Peeple, a people-rating app which sparked a storm of controversy when it was launched in September. Its Web site and social media pages have since been taken offline.
Rathbone first made his name in South African rugby, as part of Jake White's 2002 Junior World Cup winning team. He later moved to Australia as a member of the Brumbies Super Rugby team.
He declined to comment to about his new venture, stating that the Web site is still in its growth phase.
While its membership is slowly increasing, the site has been received with mixed feelings. Some experts have raised concern about the legal issues pertaining to defamatory statements which could be written about an innocent individual.
On its Web site, Karma maintains that it is compulsory for all the participants to use their true identity, and they have to wait a few days before they are approved by the Web site. The high level of identity verification makes it compulsory for members of the site to sign up with a social media profile which is six months or older, and has a minimum of 50 friends.
Dayne Rathbone wrote a paragraph on his profile describing an untrustworthy employee and why he resorted to firing him. "He went missing for days on end without notice, avoided collaboration, and was evasive when I asked about his work," he wrote. Another member who calls herself Amanda Diaz sang the praises of her friend Jesse, writing: "Jesse is a sweetheart; she always looks out for my best interest."
The rating also allows commentary from the public who may agree or disagree with the author.
It remains to be seen whether Karma will be mainly used as a way to motivate people to consistently act with professionalism and compassion or to get back at those with whom they have an axe to grind. To access the Karma Web site, click on the following link https://karma.wiki/app/start/landing
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