Reputation gained by trading with those with high reputation … hard to game that. It’s backed by threads in FS/FT threads on forums where folks can share proof of delivery and talk about the trade etc etc. this blockchain nonsense is not needed.
How about trading with those with low reputation? I assume a high reputation takes time to build, and people who are willing to take the risk with low reputation traders. That is the main issue with reputation based systems. Is Heatware transparent? Yes, but what happens if a dispute arises? I assume there are mods, whose main goal is to protect their position and Heatware. Blockchain gives the necessary voting power to the people, such that frauds are economically infeasible. Would love to discuss this more!