[BeetleB]

> but what the heck do the publishers bring to the table here?

Name recognition. Top journals are harder to publish into - you (supposedly) need a higher impact piece of work to get published in it.

Same idea with universities. The top ranked universities don't necessarily give you a better education. But that certificate sure helps.

> But I don’t get it now. Why does anyone gift them their papers?

Same answer as above. You're a researcher who is trying to get tenure. You published in Nature. Good chance you'll get tenure. You published on your own site and have a Google Doc of reviewer feedback? Anyone can create that. You won't get tenure.