In the context of something like the warez scene the ratings system can be read only to end users.
When releases are made to the decentralized torrent repository they are signed by the release group.
Whether or not a particular signer is an official member of The Scene is decided by consensus of The Scene. The web of trust is very small. Everyone involved is tech savvy, motivated, and already knows each other.
From time to time updates to the list of known groups and their keys may be posted, authenticated by a multisignature scheme.
Then clients can automatically discover who's trustworthy and filter on that. No technical skill or effort required of the general public.
When releases are made to the decentralized torrent repository they are signed by the release group.
Whether or not a particular signer is an official member of The Scene is decided by consensus of The Scene. The web of trust is very small. Everyone involved is tech savvy, motivated, and already knows each other.
From time to time updates to the list of known groups and their keys may be posted, authenticated by a multisignature scheme.
Then clients can automatically discover who's trustworthy and filter on that. No technical skill or effort required of the general public.