Time will tell on this one, but...

...The last time I signed up for a HHonors CNTU bonus, the agent said that "This may be the last time this bonus is available, because the codes wind up on Internet boards." She said that all of the Conquest-type (4 stays, 50K bonus, instant Gold status) started out as targetted promotions, but people spread the word and many more people jumped in.

In other words, I think the Internet community may have played a role in the changes that occurred with HHonors. Maybe not the primary role, but some sort of role nonetheless.