(First off, I'm glad the meme rating has been picked up, as I need to include memes in all my posts.)
As a former master yourself, you should be able to see that the master process is essentially an application with a smaller audience.
Most wouldn't get it, such as the directors, but it is almost exactly the process conducted on the forums and through interview. I could see a positive from the change if it was to stop rank pulling, but as that problem is non-existent from where I am viewing the situation, I find it less about the situation and more about personal viewpoints of the directors.