Is the rating system broken?
I am trying to play and rate as many maps here as I can stand. I have noticed many times when a map was rated x/5 before I rated it x-1/5, the rating is x+1/5 after. I'm already disappointed that the ratio of ratings to downloads is less than 1% for most maps, but if the rating system is broken and unreliable, I may as well stop rating maps, too. But, I won't stop playing them. Even without a rating system, this site would still be fantastic!
[spoiler]My YouTube Channel: Please subscribe!
My Steam Workshop Check out my collections for some good maps
Basic Mod for playing .vpk files Needs to be updated for dlc2, but still works[/spoiler]
I haven't noticed this problem whatsoever. Usually when I rate a map the rating doesn't actually change, but that could be because I only play maps that have been rated by a lot of people...
If you rate a map 5/5 that only 2 other people voted 1/5, you're going to see a big jump in the average.
What KennKong is saying is:
Map A has 10 votes; 4/5
Kenn votes 3/5
Map A has 11 votes 5/5
You have to be very good in math to get that as a logical outcome. 
I haven't noticed this problem yet but I haven't been really paying attention to the influence of my votes. I will look at this more carefully in the future.
The vote %'s are indeed quite low but keep in mind that if there is a v1.5 of a map people often downloaded 1.0;1.1 all the way to 1.5; that means 6 downloads for one person! I also sometimes found myself downloading the same map two times in a row 'cause I wasn't paying attention. So that is also how those figures can look different from the unique downloads
The rating system is bugged. I remember a rating showing up without anyone downloading my map yet. I also started a thread about that.
My Work
[spoiler]Maps:
Revenge of the Angry Turrets
Capture the Cube [Co-op]
Capture the Cube 2 [Co-op]
TPWEGTH Sample Map
Aperture Aquatic Testing Center
Aperture Aquatic Testing Center 2
Aperture Time Testing Center
ML's Halloween Trick - 1000 downloads!
ML's Halloween Treat
ML's Combination - 1000 downloads!
ML's Jailbreak Labyrinth
ML's Tricky Teamwork [Co-op]
WIP:
"Capture the Cube 3"
Workshop Maps Link: http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198008890579/myworkshopfiles/[/spoiler]
well, if I'd upload a 200 mb file and I ask you all to vote before it finished uploading it also has a rating before someone downloaded
Ive noticed that it seems near every person who uploads a map rates it 5/5 and that really skews thing especially if its a crap map
Agreed; but from what I understand is disabling votes for the map creator is very hard too do.
EDIT: Typo.
Ratings are automatically recalculated every few hours or once a day or something. There are one or two fuckwits (specifically iWork) who like to tamper with the rating system, and I had to go completely out of my way to 1.) fix them fucking it up and 2.) come up with a way of blocking them from voting again.
Please do not Private Message me for assistance. Post a thread if you have questions or concerns.
If you need to contact the staff privately, contact the Global Moderators via Discord.
PortalStories.com
"Oh, in case you got covered in that repulsion gel, here's some advice the lab boys gave me: DO NOT get covered in the repulsion gel."
Just to illustrate:
Before I rated this map, it was 7 votes, 3/5.
I rated it 2/5.
Now it's 8 votes, 4/5.
http://forums.thinking.withportals.com/downloads.php?view=detail&df_id=1298
[spoiler]My YouTube Channel: Please subscribe!
My Steam Workshop Check out my collections for some good maps
Basic Mod for playing .vpk files Needs to be updated for dlc2, but still works[/spoiler]