Community mindset is inescapable even if they're wrong. I mean. Okay, yeah, great NIN, MNK, DRG - they all bring more raid dps to the party than a SAM. But all these numbers and utility....it's all in a vacuum. It all assumes that everyone is playing optimally. And if, to pull a random % out of an orifice, 75+% of players aren't even optimal, let alone above-average at these meta/utility jobs, or using said utility, or they die all the time to mechanics, well then what's the point? Are they still essential to your Byakko EX kill-for-friend group?

So-and-so job brings +5% raid dps to an average group, plays averagely. Amazing SAM player brings no extra raid dps, but MORE than makes up for the raid dps loss because they actually know what they're doing. I know who I'd prefer on my team. I know that's a super dumbed-down example, but my point is player skill is overwhelmingly the biggest factor in how valuable they are, not gear, not by what DPS class they're playing (having a NIN doesn't automatically shave minutes off a fight), and it's player skill in co-ordination that makes the meta what it is. For a sarcastically-worded PF group that excludes SAM and BLM slots - composition is generally meaningless. Maybe they feel cool for using what top raiders do, but they're not top raiders. They're probably average joes whose utility will not stop them scapegoating something else for their inevitable failure.

So you ignore them, and find sensible people. Are the DPS jobs out of balance? Do they need changing? Yes. Is it as drastic as everyone makes out? Not even close. I appreciate it's annoying having to endure under a stigma where you might be excluded now and then, but ask yourself if you're really likely to succeed in a group so narrow-minded in the first place. I mean come on, it's on the PF in the first place - if they were at a level where it mattered it wouldn't be on there.