I think the concerns you've raised here about SpendHBD are valid. It doesn't look like it's contributing any real value to the ecosystem, and if the people who began the initiative can clear the air or answer these questions, then it should be taken as a scam scheme. You did good noticing these.
It is not just me noticing, it has been going on for a while, but still no answers on what it actually is doing for Hive.