We already have a problem with most people not understanding the trust system. The majority of users do not have custom trust lists, and even of those who do, many do not really understand the difference between trust ratings and a custom trust list, or how the various depths work.
I was just about to add this into my 1st statement. This is a huge problem in the trust system we currently have.
What better for new users to use as a guide for who to trade with than an almost completely opaque trust system that nearly no one understands. Brilliant.
IMO Theymos just needs to nut up and take his little tumor of a social experiment he has been running on all of us out behind the barn and shoot it. Get rid of trust lists completely, implement a standard of evidence of theft, violation of contractual agreement, or violation of applicable laws for negative rating, and make trust ratings little more than a comment on the profile once again. Simplify the system and increase accountability for its use and abuse. Or we can just let the forum continue to eat its own face as
I warned would happen years ago when these failed "features" were implemented.