System and methods for credentialing on-line information providers

A system for credentialing network-based sources of information, commentary, and opinion, the system comprising:

• a data communications network site, the site maintained by a credential clearinghouse (CCH) and defining a CCH network site;
• a registry communicatively linked to the CCH network site for storing registry entries, each registry entry being associated with a credential-granting organization (CGO) determined by the CCH to satisfy a predetermined standard of credibility;
• and
• a database communicatively linked to the data communications network site for storing collections of CGO user-entity entries, each collection corresponding to a single CGO determined by the CCH to satisfy the predetermined standard of credibility and comprising at least one user-entity entry corresponding to a user entity granted a credential by the CGO.

A computer-readable storage medium in which is embedded computer-readable code, which when loaded to and executed by a computer, causes the computer to:

• receive a request for recognition at a data communications network site defining a credential clearinghouse (CCH) network site, the request received by a CCH from at least one credential-granting organization (CGO);
• in response to the request for recognition, register in a registry a grant of recognition to the CGO if the CGO is determined by the CCH to satisfy a predetermined standard of credibility;
• after the CGO is granted recognition, receive at the CCH network site a request for a credential granted by the CGO, the request received from a user entity;
• and
• convey to the user entity a credential if the user entity is determined to satisfy a predetermined set of credentialing benchmarks.