I believe so long as the data funneling is done well, it will provide the incentive for many more people to strive to get involved, to want to be a part of something amazing where their own work gets recognised and supported, and to do more of what they love knowing it benefits not only them, but those joining them on their journey.

You make some great points about why anybody doing something centralised shouldn't be for their tokens, not only about the issue of control, but for rogue employees, being hacked etc.
The whole point of Crypto-Currency after all, is to have that decentralisation to avoid any one or many companies controlling any part of it.