Hey , i am doing good thank you !
I can relate to the pros and cons you mentioned. In general, I am not a fan of rating systems; I prefer judges evaluating the entries in game jams and competitions. I think it's fairer and more significant.
If I ever organize a game jam or a competition, I don't think I would include ratings. I'll go with judges evaluating entries as an option to determine the winners.
There are jams that last 30 days; that is nice.
Oh, the UK! I am from Morocco; I was born in Germany, spent some years there, and since then, I have been in Morocco.
-ilias