FFXI isnt in its own bubble. It can and will be compared to standards in other mmos, you dont have to like it just stop acting like they dont have to fix anything.
This is incredibly important. MMO's aren't traditional boxed games, their business model is more like a service. You want entertainment, they provide you entertainment for a price. If their entertainment is unsatisfactory then you (the customer) will seek out entertainment from another service provider. A MMO's success will always be about it's entertainment value.