Likes-to-Post Ratio is simple but I think that it will have a negative impact on discourse in many forums.
Many users will be reluctant to comment if they think that their comments will not receive likes.
Here’s two specific examples of negative consequences from using the Likes-To-Post Ratio.
Example 1 - Software support forum
When I report a bug with the software and the support staff agree that it is a bug I usually get a like. If they find my bug report incredible and nobody else has reported the bug then I don’t get a like. As often happens, other users will report the same bug at a later date. The support staff see that it is a “real” bug so the confirmation reports get a like but my original bug report doesn’t receive a belated like.
If a reputation system used Likes-to-Posts Ratio then I would be “losing” reputation for reporting bugs early. I could get a better reputation by only confirming bugs that had already been reported by someone else.
Example 2 - User who don’t give likes
There are many users who are stingy with their likes.
I looked for a ratio of Likes received: Likes given greater than 10:1 and found that at 41 likes and below there are many users who are that stingy. At a glance, I’d say 25% (someone else could generate a report that gave the exact results). Above that level of likes received there are only a few users who are that stingy and they appear to be developers.
185:2 Plugin developer
63:3 “great contributor” contributed 25 accepted pull requests
61:1 “I work at Apple as a senior web application developer”
53:5
A ratio of 10:1 is, in my view, quite extreme. Such users user will improve their relative reputation at the expense of other users by not giving any likes.
I don’t think that stinginess in giving likes should improve your reputation in comparison to other users.