We've heard people say "Vote with your wallet" when we're unhappy with a developer, but with linkshells, the more appropriate mantra is probably, "Vote with your time." If you don't like how a particular linkshell is run - how it distributes loot, how it treats new members, the attitude of the veteran members, etc. - don't join the linkshell. Joining them and helping them out is basically a vote in their column, saying "What you're doing is fine by me."

In my opinion, the worst thing you can do in this scenario is to join a shell without being 100% clear on their rules, or to protest one of the rules you don't like in the heat of the moment. As somebody who worked with a few event linkshells in the past, few things were more frustrating than somebody - usually a new member - flipping out as the five-minute treasure ticked down to zero.

If the group's leader doesn't want to explain all the rules to you clearly, if they're not following the rules that they laid into place, or if they don't seem to have any rules at all, take that into account when you're deciding whether or not to give them your time. If what they're doing is really that unacceptable, the group will eventually dissolve or, hopefully, evolve to be more accommodating to other players. In the meantime, it opens up the opportunity to start your own group, make your own rules, and figure out which system ends up being the more enjoyable.