[M T]

Either everyone should be participating in the ratings system, or no one should -- all too easy for motivated, disaffected folks to drag others down.  This is also a small enough community where we ought not have these issues...!

We users probably don't know how frequent or rare it is that it is that "motivated, disaffected folks to drag others down".
The admins probably do.   In years of being here, as a user I've only heard of it happening twice.  One of those was when it happened to me years ago.  I contacted the admins and the issue was solved within the day.   We are an open community and new people join at any time.

[M T]

Either everyone should be participating in the ratings system, or no one should -- all too easy for motivated, disaffected folks to drag others down.  This is also a small enough community where we ought not have these issues...!

We users probably don't know how frequent or rare it is that it is that "motivated, disaffected folks to drag others down".
The admins probably do.   In years of being here, as a user I've only heard of it happening twice.  One of those was when it happened to me years ago.  I contacted the admins and the issue was solved within the day.   We are an open community and new people join at any time.