If people got limited feedback, prior to wider distribution, they could re-work their articles so 95%+ of the discussion isn't centered around one superficial p

If people got limited feedback, prior to wider distribution, they could re-work their articles so 95%+ of the discussion isn't centered around one superficial point, but rather the bread-and-butter of the article's point: as you mention, 1-person & 4 hours vs. 3-people & 1-week. Big difference between the two!