POTD: Returning player confusion - skip mobs or not?

[Makeda]

I'm a returning player, and when I left they didn't have POTD, or I had managed to not know about it (I left during ARR, and then came back for a month or two around 3.0, and am trying to 'come back' again).

So...

I tried POTD for the first time last night and all my groups were doing full clears to get experience.

I presumed I wanted to do the same thing, thinking that this would translate to more experience for my 'actual class' upon leaving. I now believe this is wrong though, right? Is the experience gained for your 'real class / job' just a fixed number based on the number of levels cleared?

That said... this morning I had a group getting very mad at me for attacking enemies and not trying to 'carefully skip around them to avoid all aggro and just reach the next level'.

They told me the kills gave no experience. But I do see my 'POTD level' rapidly going up when we attack enemy mobs...

What is the correct approach in all of this?

How should I be using this place?

Consider that my main job is level 53, and I have an alt with her main job at 51. I was in POTD based on advice that I need to reach 'some point' in it (that I couldn't figure out what point) in order to get an iLevel 230 weapon when I hit 60.

I went in on lower level classes that I need a few levels on (darknight for the main to make it easier for me to be able to pick warrior or DrK to 'focus' later, thamaturge for the alt as she's a healer still lacking swiftcast).

- Am I doing this place all wrong? All right? somewhat?

I asked in chat in game... and I got back "they're skipping because you get no exp at 60, and you will be 60 anyway really fast" which just confused me more... if I skip getting exp, how do I get to 60? Clearly there is something people who have been doing this just 'intuitively know' that a 'noob' like me doesn't yet grasp...