I am not really a fan of how "popular" the rep tool is. It's basically a gimmick to farm WP, a copy paste from Eve space battle tactics that does NOT work the same way in an FPS. All it really does is enable a player to run around babysitting proto stompers, and tactically in PC it forces the heavy and logi into a symbiotic role that makes them useless in any other play style. In fact I would say this also forces heavies to use Light weapons to be independent of the Logi.

In the words of a closed beta heavy who has given up Amarr for the Caldari Sentinel, "you're stuck with a logi and I have more freedom."

I switched from the Minmatar Logi to the Amarr Sentinel in 1.8 to avoid being stuck with a rep tool, because honestly it is not my favorite play style. I would rather spend my time in an FPS shooting other players with a gun, not healing them constantly and basically being a slave on a leash.
Then I decided once I was done skilling into the heavy to become a Gal Logi because Scouts are FOTM and I wanted to be their one weakness. But now I am realizing that I will be forced to skill into the Rep Tool no matter what I do, because no one wants to use a Logi in PC that doesn't "have reps."

Wasn't the goal of changing the Logi bonuses in 1.8 to "reward specialization" into the racial equipment? I would say uplinks and repair tools are the ONLY thing people care about when hiring ringers or picking up players for PC battles.