Setting Your Community's Trust Model
When you create a community on Karmyq, you don't configure abstract numbers. You answer six questions about how your community thinks about trust, relationships, and mutual aid — and the system infers
Setting Your Community's Trust Model
When you create a community on Karmyq, you don't configure abstract numbers. You answer six questions about how your community thinks about trust, relationships, and mutual aid — and the system infers the right parameters from your answers.
The Six Questions
1. Who is this community for?
This shapes visibility, join requirements, and member cap.
| Answer | What it means |
|---|---|
| Just us — a curated circle | Private, invite-only. Max 50 members. |
| Our neighborhood or local group | Semi-open. Anyone nearby can find you, but joining needs approval. Max 100 members. |
| Anyone who finds us | Open doors. Public, easy to join. Max 150 members. Outsiders can respond to requests. |
2. How do you feel about new members?
This controls how quickly newcomers can earn karma and post requests.
| Answer | What it means |
|---|---|
| Trust takes time | New members observe for two weeks before posting. Karma and requests are gated. |
| Cautious but welcoming | A short waiting period (7 days), then full access. |
| Open arms — jump right in | No waiting period. Joining itself counts as your first act of participation. |
3. What kind of relationships do you want to build?
This shapes how the trust system weights repeated partners vs. new connections.
| Answer | What it means |
|---|---|
| Deep bonds with the same people | Trust grows through repeated exchanges. (depth 0.8 / breadth 0.2) |
| A mix of close and new | Balance between depth and breadth. (depth 0.6 / breadth 0.4) |
| A wide web of connections | Trust spreads broadly. Meeting new people is valued. (depth 0.3 / breadth 0.7) |
4. How do you feel about asking for help?
This sets how karma is split between helpers and those who ask.
| Answer | What it means |
|---|---|
| Givers matter more | Helpers earn 80% of karma. Asking carries weight. |
| Giving and asking are equally valued | 60/40 split. Both roles are honored. |
| Asking is brave | Both helpers and requestors earn generously (60/60). Reaching out is an act of trust. |
5. How long should acts of generosity be remembered?
This controls how quickly karma and trust scores fade.
| Answer | Half-life |
|---|---|
| They echo forever | Karma fades over a year (365 days). Long-term members carry their history. |
| For a season | Karma fades over 3 months, trust over 6. Staying active keeps your standing. |
| We live in the present | Karma fades over 30 days, trust over 60. What you did last month matters more than last year. |
6. How do you want to curate what gets asked for?
This controls whether requests are visible immediately or reviewed first.
| Answer | What it means |
|---|---|
| Admins review every request | Higher curation. Nothing appears until a moderator approves. |
| Members post freely | Requests are visible immediately. The community self-moderates. |
Revisiting Your Trust Model
Communities evolve. The answers that felt right when you started may not match how your community actually behaves a year later.
To revisit your trust model:
- Open your community page
- Go to the Config tab (founder only)
- Click Revisit trust model
- Answer the six questions again based on how your community has grown
- Review the proposed changes — a diff shows every field that would change, with current and proposed values
- Apply all, apply only the changes you want, or discard
The diff is selective — you can check or uncheck individual fields. If you like the new approach to karma splits but want to keep your existing membership rules, you can apply only the fields that matter.
Tips for Founders
Start conservative, then open up. It's easier to loosen trust requirements as your community builds a track record than to tighten them later.
Q4 (asking for help) is the most underrated. Many communities default to rewarding helpers, but communities that also celebrate asking tend to see higher participation from people who need help most.
Q5 (memory) reflects your community's pace. Active communities with daily exchanges can afford short half-lives. Communities that meet seasonally or are geographically sparse should choose longer memories.