If parsing is needed to clear challenging content then why is it not in the game?

[Kitfox]

From a game design point of view, if the game has DPS and HPS challenges, the player should be provided the tools to measure their performance against those checks in my opinion.

A parser doesn't really help your performance, especially if you already play well, but it provides a wealth of information. Making use of that knowledge is a different matter altogether. A simple DPS number is not all that useful, especially for a casual player, except for maybe making them realize their actual performance level. It might spark them to research their gameplay but simply knowing your DPS compared to others doesn't do much for them. It won't turn a wipe into a clear for example. The important part, however, is knowing why the wipe happened, and this knowledge is something an in-depth parser can provide. Skills used, actions per minute, buffs and debuffs, damage taken: these are the important things, not the final DPS number.

"What is my DPS?" is not the right question nor an interesting one. "Why is my DPS the way it is?" is the thing everyone should be asking themselves.

[GMERC]

From a game design point of view, if the game has DPS and HPS challenges, the player should be provided the tools to measure their performance against those checks in my opinion.

You already have that. If you fail a DPS check something happens and everyone knows it. It's not some mystery that waits until you're at 1% on a boss before randomly killing everyone. Enrage timers aren't some profound and mystifying concept, either. A parser is useful for seeing weaknesses in your group and in yourself, but it's far from actually necessary to accomplish things.

Parsing just gives you more information, and it doesn't need to be built into the client for you to take advantage of that information.

[Kitfox]

You already have that. If you fail a DPS check something happens and everyone knows it. It's not some mystery that waits until you're at 1% on a boss before randomly killing everyone. Enrage timers aren't some profound and mystifying concept, either. A parser is useful for seeing weaknesses in your group and in yourself, but it's far from actually necessary to accomplish things.

Parsing just gives you more information, and it doesn't need to be built into the client for you to take advantage of that information.

Well, I mean, simply dying is about as useful as only giving you a number and no information behind the said number. For the same reason I'm not really vouching for an in-game DPS meter, because I have serious doubts it'd be as useful as ACT+FFlogs are.

I'm pretty happy with the current situation, although I feel bad for the console players that can only get their information indirectly.