Why people thinks about awards like a rating system? Because a rate system is designed to tell you which is the best, like awards. You must be agree with me when I say that if a track has recivided a lot of awards, a lot of people liked the track, so this track is best than other wich hasn't recived lots of awards.This mean: more awards=better track.
This simplistic system works: Best tracks has more awards. It works like a wagon compared to a Ferrari, but it works: You can go to point B from point A with both.... Anyway this is not the problem.
IMO problem is this system has a lack:
Imagine you can rate a track with a perfect rate system (from 0 to 10 points), and we have the site plenty of 10 points tracks. If a new guy, but a genius on building maps, enters the site he can up to the climb faster: If the first downloader likes the track and gives him 10 points, others players will see his track on "first positions on the list". If the first guy who rated was his friend (I mean, first guy was "abusing" the system for hipe and our friend is a poor builder) this track will go down on rating list while others players make his rate. (We must believe most people is right and a lot of people will see this race).
But with awards, when a new guy (rembember a genius) enters the site, is very dificult (quite impossible) to apear in the top rated tracks. There is a site plenty of tracks with thousands awards. And this is the lack of the system: It blocks itself, and stop working. This new guy, with his incredible track desapears from the list in a few minutes (hours in the best case) and nobody saw his track, except a few guys who give him 10 awards the first two days (I'm in the best case again). And nobody will download his track again.
He recived a nice 10 awards full of nice words and comments. Yes. But he has a track wich is best than other tracks wich has 100 awards, wich apear always on top, because this tracks was uploaded years before... (Not beacuse is better, just is old)
This track also deserves 100 awards. And users will like to play this track if they were able to find it in this huge mess of tracks.... And awards are a exponential rating system, don't forgive this other lack. Because tracks with more awards apear in the top of the list when you are trying to find THE BEST track, so if i have 5 friends who hipes my crap track... (Yes I know, awards are just feedback... let's say in this way, awards are just POSITIVE feedback, my friends loves me, and we all were agree in that if a track has lots of awards it can't be a crap...)
I think most users works this way.
I want a rating system because I want to discover new nice tracks every day in the top "rated" list. Not always the same tracks... Maybe the best track in this site is still undiscovered XD
I have seen some nice and fresh ideas here...