I wasn't just talking about raid content though - I was talking about new, difficult content such as Extreme 24 man, Extreme Dungeons, Extreme Treasure Maps, Extreme Diadem, stuff like that. I get that people don't want to commit to raid groups and raid times and can see how people can't do that but still want to do difficult content. Raid finder doesn't exactly help with that due to queue times and people lying about fight experience, but its a start - it would help to expand the variety of difficult content.
I get that you wasn't advocating that people having stuff mailed to them on login, but I was trying to make the point that there isn't any effort required to do things like Expert Roulette, 24 man (outside of the first couple of weeks if you DF it) or Diadem.
I have never said that people should be forced to wait months to improve their characters. I've been saying there should be more difficult content with a wider variety of party setups and/or types of battle content. I have said that if people want the top end very best gear/items, they should have to put in the amount of effort required to do that content. If that means spending time using catch up gear to improve their characters, sure. If that means spending time to improve their rotation and how they deal with mechanics, great. But I never once said people should be forced to wait to get top end gear. I said if they don't want to put in the required performance to get it, then they can wait for extra gear/echo/mechanics nerfs.
Saying I don't contemplate the benefit of alternative gear sources is actually so far from what I believe so I don't know why you think that. I think if Diadem had been more difficult mechanically and the gear wasn't Aetherial (i.e. just two random stats) it would have been good. I've even advocated allowing 24 man gear to be upgraded a ridiculous amount of times - i'm like a broken record about it.
I couldn't care less if its the vocal majority of the minority - its about the point being made. Want to break up the "insular static" end game? Bring out more content that doesn't require statics that is actually difficult. Statics/linkshells/fc's will ALWAYS happen with difficult content because most people prefer having schedules and a reliability in playing in a team that's familiar with themselves, and of course its going to be an 8 man static when all the difficult content in the game is 8 man. But if you expand that to 24man/diadem, you'll have linkshell groups and FC groups for it and you'll definitely need stand ins which opens it up more for those on non standard/changing schedules.
I've also never said people shouldn't have stuff to do, i've advocated more difficult content. But playing a game just isn't about progressing your gear - its also about progressing your own personal skill level and I feel for top end gear you should be expected to do that.