@Manticore : You can see this confirmation/cognitive bias visible on the useless thread asking "what do Indians think about Nepalis?" I have been given a negative rating by pakistanisage, and the only forum rule I can think of having broken is being off topic. But then almost everything there is off topic, since the topic is not worth discussing. Desert fighter made an equal number of off topic posts, but only I got the negative. Being Pakistani, the rater only thought it fit to give a negative to my post.
BTW Pakistanisage also called me a moron when he negged me, and I believe name calling is against forum rules. I have been infracted by webby for the same offence once.
You said that the idea behind this rating system was to encourage people to post with quality. It may work in that manner, if it is used properly. But when we see obvious bias and unobjectivity in handing out negatives, it has the opposite effect - in our minds, it cheapens the rating system, and we end up not caring about these negatives. That explains why people who get a few negatives very soon go on to get several more, whereas people who haven't opened their account take some time.
For example, if the rater who just negged me had also negged the Pakistanis and warned us to stay on topic, I would have been careful about it in future. But seeing that only I got a negative, my reaction is to be rebellious, not to mention losing any respect I may have had for that particular rater, and the rating system itself.
Disclaimer : I am only taking time to explain how I feel so that you might be able to improve the system, and rethink who should have the power to rate. I do not care for this particular rating, as I have no respect whatsoever for the person who gave it, and also because I know that either three of us deserved it or none. Like @notsuperstitious explained earlier, when a habitual troll neggs me and calls me a troll, what do you think I would feel about the system?
EVILS OWN 
