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I think writing is a great means of creative expression. However, I don't think that everyone has in them a novel that is sufficiently well-written and original to warrant publication.
The bar to publication has become incredibly low, which I think has led to the rise of the "cargo cult" writer (if unfamiliar with the term, I've borrowed it from Richard Feynman and his description of "cargo cult" science...well worth a few minutes on Wikipedia if you're not familiar with the concept). These are people who have a general feel for what a book is and what it looks like, and can generate the required number of words, but have absolutely no idea of how to create well-constructed fiction worth reading.
Separating good from bad writing has always been an issue. There's the old story, usually attributed to Flannery O'Connor, being asked whether she felt that writing workshops discouraged too many young writers, and responding that she didn't think it discouraged enough of them. So what does it mean to the writing landscape when all the gates are removed? Caveat emptor, full stop?
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