Once upon a time, transactions between people were more or less done in person. The druggist you bought methamphetamine from at the pharmacy ( yes, meth ) had a name and a face. The chap you bought a car from had a name and a face, too. So did the florist, grocer, doctor, mechanic, and everyone else you might transact with.
This gave rise to a reputation system, and reputations work pretty well at discouraging […]
