Instead of reactionary posting, how bout we look at how the game actually is played in tbc and look at some numbers.
Some rough numbers from what I can remember and find online. (wowhead’s data for tbc seems to be borked right now too) Mostly focused on caster dps and healers since that’s what I know and this could take forever otherwise.
Alchemy - the Redeemers Stone is +20 mp5 better than the Momento and +60 healing and +20 mp5 better than Remedy. Maybe the on-use quality has more value, so call it +30 healing? No other healing trinkets should be close to this, so this profession is mandatory for min maxed healers in late t6 / sw.
Enchanting - Provides a bonus +40 heal, +24 spell dmg or + 8 all stats. Also, striking but I think that wasn’t as good as all stats. That’s a sizable bump and so it will be at the front of the line to be mandatory for minmax.
Tailoring - mandatory for most caster dps and healers into late t5. But you’re a restro shaman who wears mail? If you take tailoring you gain 80 + healing compared to the next best items even before considering the set bonus. For a mage spellfire is worth 60+ spell dmg alone. At that gear level this is huge.
Later, there are some pattern drops in SW that give decent upgrades over t6. For example, Robe of Eternal Light is +17 heal and +40 haste over Vestments of Absolution with maybe 3-4 mp5 equivalent lost. A mage in sunfire robes gains 20 spell dmg, 40 haste, and 10 crit over Vestments of the Sea-Witch. However, there is a lot of rng to these drops and you are not guaranteed to get any benefit.
Jewelcrafting - has unique equipped gems that give +2 spell dmg, +4 healing, +4 attack power. The trinkets are decent while they last and are probably best used to gear an alt. Any guild requiring this to be levelled for those gems is nuts. The math doesn’t justify it, maybe they want to show how hardcore they are.
Engineering - The helms are considered bis for most classes. For caster dps in early SW the holo-gog’s are +17 spell dmg vs cowl of illidari highlord, +24 spell dmg and +13 crit but -13 hit vs cowl of the tempest, +19 spell dmg and +10 crit but -16 hit vs malefic hood, +20 spell dmg and +25 crit but lose ~15 mp5. Unlike some of the other professions these are boe and only require 350 engineering, so if the schematic doesn’t drop, you still have hope you can buy them.
Leatherworking - Multiplying by 5 party members and dividing by 4 for the duration you get 125 mp5 or 100 haste for using drum. That’s guaranteed and very good compared to any other profession. If you actually wear mail or leather you also have the rng chance to get an upgrade pattern to drop.
So, there are 4 professions for healers and 3 for caster dps that provide 25-50 improvement in important, relevant stat’s. Then there’s lwing in the 100-125 range. I’d prefer no changes, especially after reading some of what Blizzard has planned. However, if you are going to make a change then the simplest method would be to bring lwing in line with other professions. The crazy thing is, if you consider the gear you might be able to craft as a hunter, rogue, or shaman, it is still the best profession in the game.
If you change it to self only use, you might effect class balance. Even better hunters?
Change drums to boe and not require lwing to use? Yes, but a part of the complaint is having to keep this drum circle going in the first place. The truth is, most people who raided in tbc did not switch to lwing and use drums at the time. I don’t buy this nostalgia argument. It does solve the bigger problem of having to switch professions though.
Simplest answer is just to keep drums as they are and divide the haste and mp5 effect by 4 or 5. This brings the benefit down to 20-25 haste or 25-28 mp5 which is in line with other professions. No need to keep meddling with the details like range and other stuff that might or might not work.
If Blizz were to go for a big change then I’d suggest making drums give hero/bl and implementing an exhaustion debuff instead of using spell cd’s. That would be a very big change as you couldn’t cycle super haste through your top dps group. It would be a net nerf to raid dps though and harder is better, right? Also, guilds wouldn’t be punished as much for not having 5 shaman. You probably still need them for the totems and all, but it would help mid level guilds maintain a competitive raid comp.
Probably, just divide the haste buff by 4. If Blizz decides they must make changes then making the simplest changes with the lightest hand possible would be best.