Abstract: A method for providing an online reputation is disclosed. An online credential service assigns a unique client identifier to each user and a unique forum identifier to each forum that users participate. A user participating in one or more online forums registers for establishing a reputation profile at the online credential service. A unique verification code associated with each forum is generated for the user to include in the user's profile at the corresponding forum. A user's reputation is determined based on whether a verification code is included in the user's profile at the form.