I think pools in general are a good idea. It allows smaller investors to get better pricing by pulling all of their money together. The downside comes from the potential for scams and dumping after the ICO ends. When bonuses are super high, it lowers the effective price and people that buy later in the sale will get dumped on after the listing. I wouldnt participate in one, but Im glad people have the option.
Yes, I generally agree with most you said here. It is actually up to the ICO company to impose long vesting periods along with big bonuses.