Bio, you very eloquently stated a lot of what I feel. For me, the road to 50 is as much fun as the final ding.
I played from April of 2004 until sunset and STILL have never done it all in the game. There is so much rich and fun content that you miss by speeding through just to have a 50. There are the story arcs that are almost like being in a movie, the tons of 'things' in every new zone and even the npc talk, which can be hilarious. I prefer to immerse myself and feel a part of the big picture, but not everyone feels that way. They just want to get to 50 quickly. I have found that those of us who have taken it slowly have also discovered that this is a wonderful gaming community and thus is more than 'just a game'. I really like that a lot for me. Everyone should be able to play the way that is fun for them, so to me, there's no 'right' or 'wrong' way.