If you are pre 25yo, I can get why you feel that way. BUT, from my PoV, socialising and actually gearing is kind of the whole purpuse of WoW.
I ask you, if you gear ilvl250 in 1st week, what do you do after that ? Be upset that there is nothing to do in WoW ?
The gearing process should take the same in PvE as in PvP, that way we have an even ground and not force players to do PvP just so they can fast clear anything in PvE, or vice-versa, like it happend in season 1 SL.
Moreover, if you like rain shower gear, I actually don’t care about that part, just the mess we have to deal, searching between 100epics in our bags, but I can play that style also, because my concern is more about ALTing, and being able to freely play an ALT without being FORCED to redo everything and have a choice to do it or not to do it. Nowadays it feels like you have to watch a movie 24times WHEN you don’t wanna do that.
Blizzard adds catchup mechanics, but I don’t think that is enough anymore, I don’t ask them to give me gear, just to give me the possibility to play the content I love, for that gear.