That's a good point and it is how I believe workingwithrails.com has handled this. You are ranked by the number of recommendations you have. That way new users

That's a good point and it is how I believe workingwithrails.com has handled this. You are ranked by the number of recommendations you have. That way new users who are unvetted do not rise to the top. Though in my experience recommendations are generally short and weak in their content. Maybe a system where users can say if they have worked with the person and if they would work with them again would be good.