Persisting node reputations in transient communities

A system for persisting a node's reputation in a network having transient network communities where a collection of the nodes making up the network may change over time, comprising:

• means for using a persistent node identifier for each node in the network, even though a different network address may be assigned to the node upon entering the network multiple times;
• means for creating a mapping between the persistent node identifier of each node and a current network address used by that node;
• and
• means for recording results of each node's behavior as it interacts with other nodes in the network, wherein the mapping allows associating the behavior with the node even though its current network address may change.

A computer program product for persisting a node's reputation in an ad hoc network where a collection of the nodes making up the network may change over time, the computer program product embodied on one or more computer-readable media and comprising:

• computer-readable program code means for using a persistent node identifier for each node in the network, even though a different network address may be assigned to the node upon entering the network multiple times;
• computer-readable program code means for creating a mapping between the persistent node identifier of each node and a current network address used by that node;
• and
• computer-readable program code means for recording results of each node's behavior as it interacts with other nodes in the network, wherein the mapping allows associating the behavior with the node even though its current network address may change.