There will always be a category of guys with malicious intentions. Wouldn't be a first to find out some guys try to convince girls into trading positive reviews and "influence" on the board in exchange of xyz - this is exploitation. There has been plenty of such stories and public drama over the years (voiced by SPs).
But I don't think the "lack of" in a strategic purpose is the norm. I don't really see it as even being the main problem but more of a symptom of how certain changes over time have affected participation on the board. I'll say it again it really isn't the "community" it once was. And it will never be.
I used to enjoy sharing with a smaller group of people that truly shared the same interests. There was motivation in finding new girls, TOFTM was the norm because there were no pictures just a small block of text in some paper. So the importance of sharing back then was crucial. And from there you got to know some guys, and topics of interest multiplied to plenty of non-sw topics... again, a true community.
Now, I don't even bother writing reviews anymore. The most I'll do is react to an existing post (if even). For myself, the reason is simple, I never did it to help the girls. I always did it to help the guys (but was happy if it helped the girls as well). I used to love writing reviews, especially after meeting with a girl nobody had ever mentionned (I've since deleted most of those threads). But the moment some decided to criticize the style in writing (too long, too whatever), as if their opinions should have any bearing on how one should write was the final straw. I'm not going to be told what to do because someone who thinks has influence said so. Someone doesn't like something... they can seriously GFT.
The point I'm trying to make, is that the lack of reviews and activity isn't just due to a minority holding back. There just isn't any motivation for some of us to do so anymore. Why would anyone invest their time writing something which has already been said more than once? If it was just to help boost a girl, isn't that what shilling is? And with the influx of users over the years, I can't even say I relate to most of the reviews anymore. Clearly my personal tastes are no longer aligned with what I read.
Why do I bother returning? Schedules, restaurant tips, tv show / movie reviews, sports and politics.
(sorry for the long post, I did not have the time to write a short one).