Some people may think timesinks like skilling up(FFXI) are a waste of time. But I think it prolongs the content and gives alot of people a sense of accomplishement when they are hitting more often than others. Like guildmarks, you could easily tell who was dedicated enough to thier job, and competant by who had taken the time to get the extra abilities that weren't just handed to you. I really enjoyed skilling up in FFXI. I felt better about having certain weapon skills when others didn't. It's like anything else that you do to progress in a certain class. Upgrading gear, leveling sub classes(still relevant to 1.21) and other things of the like all were a timesink. It's just another way to stand apart from someone who doesnt take the job as seriously as you do.