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+---
+atroot: true
+template:
+slug: vouching
+title: combat LLM spam by building a web of trust
+subtitle: vouching on tangled!
+image: https://assets.tangled.network/vouch.png
+date: 2026-05-01
+authors:
+  - name: Akshay
+    email: akshay@tangled.org
+    handle: oppi.li
+draft: false
+---
+
+<picture>
+  <img class="h-auto max-w-full" src="https://assets.tangled.network/vouch.png">
+</picture>
+
+Tangled now has native support for
+[vouching](https://github.com/mitchellh/vouch/)! You can
+vouch or denounce users that you interact with. Vouched
+users will have a green shield icon beside their profile
+pictures, and denounced users will have a red one. You can
+use this to inform decisions about an interaction. You can
+also see the vouch/denounce decisions made by your circle.
+
+## why vouch?
+
+Vouching serves as a signal of trust to your circle.
+
+The bar to submit code to a project has never been lower
+thanks to LLM based tooling. LLM tools are really good at
+creating "uncanny valley" submissions. Code that looks
+correct but is subtly wrong. The onus is on maintainers to
+now take the time to review such submissions. To ease this
+burden, maintainers from across the Tangled network can now
+vouch for or denounce contributors that misuse these tools
+and create a maintenance burden.
+
+## mindful design
+
+Such systems need careful consideration. Vouching on Tangled
+includes the following to begin with:
+
+- vouching/denouncing with a text-based reason field
+- attenuation: you can only view decisions made by you and
+  your circle
+- no consequences to being denounced: at present, denounced
+  users aren't blocked from the project, but simply have a
+  red warning label in parts of the UI
+
+Some additions that I want to put in down the line:
+
+- decay of vouches: maintainers and contributors tend to
+  move on from projects over time, so vouches should decay
+  as time passes, and be renewed every now and then
+- evidence trails: vouching for a user right after merging a
+  PR should add the PR to the vouch record as a piece of
+  evidence
+
+<picture>
+  <img class="h-auto max-w-full" src="https://assets.tangled.network/vouching-hats.png">
+</picture>
+
+## how it works
+
+When you vouch for or denounce somebody on Tangled, you
+create a **public** record on your
+[PDS](https://atproto.com/guides/glossary#pds-personal-data-server).
+The record includes:
+
+- whether you vouched for or denounced somebody
+- an optional reason for doing so
+
+The Tangled appview then aggregates vouch data from across
+the network, and displays vouch "hats" over profiles at
+points of interaction:
+
+- in issues and issue comments
+- in pull-requests and pull-request comments
+
+A hat appears over a user only if you have directly
+vouched/denounced them, or if somebody you have vouched for
+has vouched/denounced them.
+
+Additionally, there are no consequences for a denounced
+user. Only a hat. You can click on the hat to see who
+vouched/denounced this user in your circle. The consequences
+may change eventually, but for now you can use the hat to
+inform a decision.
+
+Start building your web of trust on Tangled today.