Jeff — This closes the loop on my response to your post in April…
Tech already has an answer for such “efforts” [to identify trust, authority, expertise, and originality of sources]. For example, crowdsourcing: Wikipedia’s wikis and AirBnB’s ratings systems occupy their own niches, specializing in the agency of all these qualities you mention…
Given the openness & availability of information, tech has equipped us all to evaluate “credibility.”
Stay tuned, because before summer’s end, I’ll be launching a project I’ve been working on, and it happens to address some of your suggestions…