Syb, this is very interesting.In fact I try to create a p2p lending system. I dont know exactly how Zopa rates customer's trustworthiness and if that method is distributed as well. From what I understand, only lending money is distributed and not the trust mechanisms.<div>
<br></div><div>Looking forward to read your paper.</div><div><br><div class="gmail_quote">2011/7/15 Michel Bauwens <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:michelsub2004@gmail.com">michelsub2004@gmail.com</a>></span><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
Dear Syb,<br><br>I have already facebooked and tweeted it and here it is also copied to our list,<br><br>feel free to post an announcement on our ning blog, for a further round of facebook/tweeting support,<br><br>Michel<br>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Jul 15, 2011 at 4:39 PM, Sybski <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:syb@sybski.ru" target="_blank">syb@sybski.ru</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);padding-left:1ex">
<div style="word-wrap:break-word"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="color:black" lang="EN-US">Dear Michel,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="color:black" lang="EN-US">It has been a while since our last contact at Kennisland in Amsterdam. I now approach you with a request.�</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="color:black" lang="EN-US"></span><span style="color:black" lang="EN-US">As partial fulfillment of
the requirements for my MBA degree at the Maastricht School of Management
(MSM), I�m currently conducting research in peer-to-peer lending. Since a few
days, a survey for this research is available at </span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color:rgb(14, 55, 165)"><a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/T5HVSSJ" target="_blank">http://www.surveymonkey.co
m/s/T5HVSSJ</a>�</span></span>I want to combine the
outcomes of this research with some semi structures interviews with experts in
this field. Wld you be available for an interview (person-to-person, Skype or
via e-mail) in the period up to 26 July 2011.�</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="line-height:150%" lang="EN-US">I
would also highly appreciate if you can forward the survey link (</span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/T5HVSSJ" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:150%;color:rgb(14, 55, 165)">http://www.surveymonkey.co
m/s/T5HVSSJ</span></a>)</span><span style="line-height:150%" lang="EN-US">
to other persons that could be interested in this topic. I expect to publish
the results before the end of September 2011.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="line-height:150%" lang="EN-US"></span><span style="line-height:16px">Thank
you in advance for your reply and your invaluable help!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Groet,</p><div>Syb Groeneveld</div><div><br></div><div>T: Sybski</div><div>E: <a href="mailto:syb@sybski.ru" target="_blank">syb@sybski.ru</a></div>
<div>M: +31 6 263646 77<br>S: sybgroeneveld</div><div><br></div><div>Spadinalaan 125, 1031 KB Amsterdam</div><div>____________________________________________________________________</div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="line-height:150%;color:black" lang="EN-US">Some
background on my research<u></u><u></u></span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Since the 1970�s the financial sector
witnessed a trend of disintermediation (rise of non-banking institutions),
deregulation (liberalisation of financial services) and internationalisation
(banks move away from domestic focus). The function of the financial system as
a whole remains the pooling of financial resources among those with surplus
funds to be lent out to those who choose to be in deficit. However, the massive
disruption in the banking sector in 2008 caused a global financial crisis and
resulted in a decreased trust in the financial (regulatory) system. Since then,
many stakeholders put pressure to improve transparency and to reduce system
risk in the financial sector. Hence many scholars and practitioners consider
the current financial system as a mammoth that cannot adapt to the fast
changing and global networked economy.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">British <a href="http://Zopa.com" target="_blank">Zopa.com</a> and American <a href="http://Prosper.com" target="_blank">Prosper.com</a>
pioneered peer-to-peer lending for the unsecured consumer market in 2005. </span><span lang="EN-GB">In p2p lending one borrows
money from a source other than a bank. Borrowers post the amount (up to �
25.000) they want to borrow and the interest they are willing to pay online.
Lenders can get a rate of return of 7% to 13% while borrowers pay (depending on
their risk profile) 7.5% and more. F</span><span lang="EN-GB">or borrowers
spurned by their banks or scared away by the bankruptcy of lending institutions
as Dutch DSB, these low-cost p2p-lending platforms can be an attractive
alternative. So far, p2p-lending platforms fulfil an increasing demand (300.000
customers in the UK)</span><span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></span><span lang="EN-GB">but their
outreach have been limited to a few countries (e.g. Japan, UK and USA). Although
researched on a case-by-case basis, little has been written about the paradigm
shift this system needs in terms of regulation, trust and user centred
peer-to-peer structures.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">This thesis will therefore focus on three
areas within the online p2p lending industry:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36pt"><span lang="EN-GB"><span>1.<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">���
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB">Trust (customer);</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36pt"><span lang="EN-GB"><span>2.<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">���
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB">P2P-production
(company/community); and </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36pt"><span lang="EN-GB"><span>3.<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">���
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB">Bank regulations (government). </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">These three building blocks are fundamental
in creating a new and trusted p2p lending system. They are also the core of the
conceptual framework of my thesis that has as major research question: <i>�</i></span><i><span style="line-height:150%" lang="EN-GB">What
are the regulatory and the market requirements to create </span></i><i><span style="line-height:150%" lang="EN-GB">a trusted online
peer-to-peer lending platform for consumer loans in the Netherlands�</span><span lang="EN-GB"><u></u><u></u></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:10px"><i><span style="line-height:150%" lang="EN-GB">_______________________________________________________________________</span></i></p>
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<div><br></div><div><br></div></div></span><br></span><br>
</div>
<br></div></blockquote></div><font color="#888888"><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>P2P Foundation: <a href="http://p2pfoundation.net" target="_blank">http://p2pfoundation.net</a>� - <a href="http://blog.p2pfoundation.net" target="_blank">http://blog.p2pfoundation.net</a> <br>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><span style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;border-collapse:collapse"><pre style="white-space:pre-wrap"><br></pre><pre style="white-space:pre-wrap">Sincerely yours, </pre>
<pre style="white-space:pre-wrap"> Apostolis Xekoukoulotakis</pre></span><br>
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