You're really damned if you do damned if you don't in a situation like this.
You could have written another 5000 word post on this topic but kept it brief.
And people still didn't read it.

Many will complain about the system but hopefully less once it's better understood and the numbers make sense. I'd say it looks pretty good and I'm ready to see some people who actually give a shit about SEO and self-promotion now.