The purpose of a witness is to guarantee the integrity of the Steemit Platform. Not to be cool or promote it. Just by being on Steemit and making thousands a post is is being cool and promoting Steemit. Being a witness is a totally different thing.
The other major issue is that someone can be witness without any community support or even notice. Just out of nowhere, BAM he's in. That seems opposite of what the witness protocol ought to be.