This is still going on? Wow.
The player community defines the appropriate etiquette and in this game it's ok to Need pretty much all the time. I don't agree with it but that's just boo-hoo for me. A forum discussion won't change the way how things are done in-game.

But what I'd hope the people calling the OP's idea stupid would understand is that in many (or probably most) other MMO's this kind of systematic lower gear Needing is seen as a very selfish and greedy thing. Doing it gives you a high probability of being kicked from the party and maybe even blacklisted for being a jerk. At least for me this FFXIV kind of thinking was a quite big culture shock. I'm probably not the only one feeling like that and I'd guess that's one of the reasons why some folks can get quite vocal about the Neediness. They feel it's unfair* and wrong.

*please see previously posted gear drop percentage chart