Looking at this thread, it seems that the rating system is used for different reasons by different people. Because of this, changes to the system may be viewed as improvements for some while worsening the system for others.
It is possible to vote for multiple reasons.
Note that some of the options may seem very similar: for instance, what is the difference between 3 and 4? The reason I put these two different categories is because if you are only using the system to get something on the front page, 5 stars are unnecessary.
In number 5, to rank work, I mean as a way of comparing one piece of work to another.