This thread is a good example of some of the issues with the current meta though, not wishing to hijack it.

Yes, the suggestion Malicewolf made was completely impractical, but it's clear he was coming from a background from other MMOs where tanks are expected to... well, be tanky, and stack some kind of tank stats. Parry and Block are IN the game, they're a mechanic, there are stats that (tooltips say) increase them, there are abilities that proc -after- a parry/block. Makes sense.

I don't think you can blame a new player for being a little shocked that not only is Dex a bad choice (even before the nerf to it affecting avoidance) but that pretty much ANY tank stat in general (Parry/Vit) are to be ignored in the most part in favor of purely things that affect DPS.

The problem isnt purely that this is what the meta is - that's how it is, and we adapt and gear accordingly. The issue is that until you reach close to endgame there's literally nothing in the game itself other than just talking to other players that shows that the DPS>>> tank stats thing actually exists. If the game is going to stay as it is balancewise, it needs to more clearly nudge tanks into the direction that explains and highlights just how important dps stats are.