DPS: Why is it so dang taboo?

[Galgarion]

If there was an in-game option that let players rate each other's skill on a scale of one-to-four stars, we would abuse it. Most of us are not objective enough to separate performance from personality. We'd give someone a high rating because we felt sorry for them, we'd give someone else a low rating for being 'mean', and we'd give truly excellent players a mediocre ranking because they didn't 'wow' us. The metrics for what impresses us will vary wildly, because we're insanely arbitrary. God, if that system existed, more than a few of you would downrank someone for writing something you disagreed with in this thread without ever having played with that person.

Personally speaking, I never trust the reviews I read on Amazon. Especially bookreviews on sensitive subjects.