Chess Rating System

Not that is all important to me but the rating system on chess.com seems to be a little out of wack. I just got through playing two players that had almost an 80+ point rating higher than myself, at the conclusion of the games they both defeted  me but ended up with a rating jump of almost 6O-70+plus points how can that happen? It makes no sense.

Ok is's important to me, im just use to beating or losing to a stronger player and getting no more than an 8-10+- adjustment in my chess dot com rating. what gives?

Any half baked answer would be helpful

Your friend in Chess, John C. East Longmeadow

The more games a player has played the less the fluctuation with each win or loss.

Checkout the glicko rating system on google. http://math.bu.edu/people/mg/glicko/glicko.doc/glicko.html

For the less mathematically inclined:

http://blog.chess.com/ichabod801/a-plain-english-explanation-of-glicko-chess-ratings

Thanks ichabod, with the excepton of the formula which is like reading a foreign language your explanation answered all my questions requarding the rating system,

Thanks, John P C Agawam MA