I completely understand your spin on it, except one point...How do you know MOST people who read these threads don't read the whole thing? I find a majority of people on BOI WANT to be informed, the best way to be, is to read. I see a lot of first posts where people say "so and so screwed me" and the next dozen posts are members asking for EVIDENCE. Not just believing what is said. They want to see pictures of the sick/dead animals, emails, proof of payment, etc. I see very well informed smart members. Sure, there are members who don't read the entire thing, I am very sure there are, but to lump the membership who doesn't read the entire thread as "most" is hardly fair or true. Not without the evidence to back this up. I see the exact opposite of what you do. I see admin, mods, and members pushing for more info, more things to read, more evidence.
Ratings systems are very easily jacked up. If you can change your IP, you can rate something as much as you like. You can make as many accounts as you like so long as you have all the emails you need and just make fake names. You can go to the library, a friend's house, any place with free wi-fi and rate again and again. Where as if you FORCE people to sit down and take a long time typing out their story, explanations, evidence, etc, that is not so easily faked. Especially since with every account here, the person they are either praising or attacking can then rebuttal or thank. With a rating system, this is anonymous, I can give someone a 1 star or thumbs down and give NO explanation as to why, they don't know who gave it, and they have no chance to rebuttal it.
Good example: I know of a local computer business who has been sued several times, its public knowledge how bad they are. They have stolen computers and internal hardware and given back the customers completely different computers, often of down-grading it...And yet, for the past 6 years, they have been voted #1 in the county. How? Well, to vote, you simply need the newspaper with the ballot, check off their name and send it in...no means of identifying who voted. Get enough newspapers and the #1 vote is a shoe-in.
And technically we DO have a ratings system...You're either a Good Guy or Bad Guy. And the only way to rate someone good or bad is to post your experience. Which is what counts far more than "Good/Bad". I have seen several posts here where a member rated a seller a Bad Guy and what I read was far from it. Now if we had the rating system only or if I was one of the "most" who don't read, then I would have taken that as scripture that he was bad. When all I read was the member was very impatient and wanted the animal sent during a blizzard. I still don't believe most the membership here don't read the posts.
