Whuffie

Since this novel takes place in a "free world", reputations are built and based on a universal whuffie. Everybody has a whuffie and has the ability to downgrade or update one anothers'. Whuffies are visible to everybody, for a link is implanted in everybody's brain connecting them to the Net. People with low to know whuffies are sketchy and untrusted.

p.22: "Us oldsters who predate Whuffie know that it's important; but to kids, it's the //world//. Someone without any is automatically suspect." This quote shows the history of the Whuffie and how it transformed into a bigger deal for the current generation.

Dan is confused about the concepts of the Whuffie and cannot figure out how to build on his reputation to improve his miserable life. Julius and Lil find Dan to see that his whuffie had dropped from fifty- plus... to zero. Dan is in a struggle to find a job that will improve his whuffie and give him a better place.