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Confusion ensued about how the app would work. Cordray said she’s listened to the feedback and has made some changes in response.

For one thing, Cordray clarified that Peeple (when it finally exists) will work on an opt-in basis only: no one can write something about you unless you sign up as a user. And the users control what appears on their profiles; you can delete reviews of yourself that you don’t like and block the reviewer from posting about you ever again. Users will also have the ability to deactivate their profiles if they don’t want to use the service any more.

In a post Cordray made on LinkedIn on October 4 titled “I became a trending topic for all the wrong reasons,” Cordray stressed “Peeple is a POSITIVITY ONLY APP.” However, she clarified that she’s not planning on eliminating constructive criticism altogether.

Cordray said Peeple is scrapping the star-rating system and plans to replace it with a more complicated one: a score calculated based on ranking five elements. Cordray would only disclose one of those elements — a calculation that accounts for the recommendations and criticisms other users have posted about a person. So, while you can block a negative review from displaying on your profile, it can still silently weigh down your score.

Cordray said there are checks and balances to prevent people from gaming the system; for example, a rejected man getting his friends to bombard an ex-girlfriend with negative reviews out of spite. Cordray said Peeple will see to it that such behaviour would actually harm the scores of the people writing the harmful reviews and would put them at risk of being removed from the app.

Cordray said her experience with death threats and abuse on social media demonstrates the necessity of a product like hers. She said she wants to create a service where people are accountable, not hiding behind anonymous handles.

“We do appreciate that the world is waiting and watching us,” Cordray said. “There’s absolutely nothing to be afraid of.”

cbrownell@nationalpost.com

Twitter.com/clabrow