Some users agreeing to exclude certain users (privately or publicly) isn't any kind of gang nor retaliation.
That straw-man is not my argument.
However, why would you exclude someone just because they exclude you especially given that you agree with most of their feedback?
frivolous and unprincipled to some extent
Somebody can be a good person for 99.99% of their life, but then one day they decide to murder some old woman; why would you convict someone given that you live
mostly the same life?
My point is that the disagreements that are there can be fundamental or show a lack of principles. If somebody I have known on a friendly basis suddenly distrusts me without explanation, then that person is not somebody I can trust the judgement of. Being unwilling to explain your actions is usually a good sign that there is something about them your'e unwilling to stand next to. I'm not saying that's the case here, because it's been hectic and I am patient.
What I am saying though is if somebody is unwilling to explain why they distrust you and you have had nothing but positive interactions with that person, then there is no way you're going to trust the judgement of that individual.
they don't owe you an explanation just as you wouldn't owe anyone one.
Correct, but without one I am only able to conclude that they have done so without reason. This would lead me to distrust their ratings; how many other exclusions, inclusions or even ratings are without reason?
Then when I come to this conclusion and exclude them, the assumption would be revenge and retaliation when I am doing the only rational thing.
Disagreeing with someone's exclusion of self, and then excluding them because of it is not self-defense. It is retaliation (look up definitions and examples if unsure).
So you honestly believe that someone's opinion of you should hold no bearing on your opinion of them? Please correct me if I am wrong, but that sounds wild. We can argue semantics, and you very well may be right, but I am more interested in the principles.
Tie those with people being afraid to exclude and we have as much as a shit show as the last system
People are going to be afraid to exclude when they are being accused of retaliation for legitimately distrusting the trust-network of another user.