Agreed, that is a question that needs a boolean answer, and a rating scale is a range of answers. But if you were to ask ten people that question and their average answers came back at above the half-way point, would you think it was a good place or not? If nine of your friends said they had a good experience and one said they didn't, how is it not that this place is considered to be a good? That's all these rating system strive to do.
I also don't see how any of this leads to less or more "honesty" in the ratings.
I also don't see how any of this leads to less or more "honesty" in the ratings.