-Probably wording needs to be changed to make it clear that an NPC should be used to add an augment, not a player. This is old wording. Adding augments didn't used to attune the item, but this was also before augments dropped and you had NPC's to put them onto gear.

-Shamanic Infusion used to be hell to level. It's actually quite easy right now. I did it on an alt and didn't even use all the recipes once to max it out. It was more work to learn goblinese , to talk to the Shaman in rahu sewers. And SI is actually quite powerful depending on your build. It will get more powerful with higher levels.

The system is a bit disjointed, but overall it results in a lot of versatility in designing your own gear. The more work you put in, the more you can do. Learning it all lets a player design a set of gear that complements their skills and maximizes whatever sort of idea they are working towards.