I can't agree as having a forum for over 10 years and about 8 years before that with a BBS that allowing the users control they always have a story as why they should act like kids but have control like an adult when it comes to their liking
It depends on the type of users and subject content.
Im my case I see people wanting free marketing to answer every post with useless crap for the sole pupose to market their product or business and want people to click on their website always listed their content or change every post into a reason to ploy others to buy the snakeoil
If the user can just control their own score or hide it then no purpose in having a grading system at all.
I have seen some forums who go way out of line and if you do not post XX times then your locked out of certain forum sections and if you click on the vendor's URL they are getting money from then user score goes up.
To me that control of what user can do should be something admin can config but if just allowing user to make the call then admin should be able to turn that rating function totally off.
Allowing the users to make a judgement call as to their rating is like getting rid of the BBB.
