Okay, lets try to send the thread back to the original direction.
It was said many times during past few years that indie status will always have upper hand over factions if both provide same possibilities, but only factions are tied by responsibility.
Also, people including me in past suggested to give factions some benefits and that could make huge difference. Give factions slightly better cargo restrictions and slighty better gear (10-20 percent would be enough) and you would very likely see much more people interested in joining factions.
But nothing changed except introduction of perk system which is...some people laugh, some people cry about it, but from faction leaders I know no one consider it as something useful. Not to mention something what would make factions more appealing.