Cracked veneers

So, the website Cracked, which if you aren't familiar, is a purveyor of most things hilarious in a vague list-format. And there are funny pictures and such.
They recently posted that they are looking for writers. Having the posting opened on 26th June, and the page has had nearly 600 pages of responses and counting. The aim of the game, from a Cracked perspective, is probably not really to get new writers. It's about a little thing called footfall.
Now, I would love to write for Cracked. If you get published, the pay is good. I don't even consider myself funny, but I'd be willing to give it a try and will probably sign up today to find out what happens. However, what worries me is the sheer scale of people who are also replying. This is an internet-wide demographic, and writers will do anything for money, because generally they don't have any (and we need our booze). There were, in amongst the throngs of people saying how keen they were to write for Cracked, people saying they had never received the golden confirmation that they could try to actually write something for Cracked.
Mainly, I assume, because a few people cannot keep up with the admin of registering the influx of thousands of emails. But, I wonder. This is all websites want. Your blood. Well, okay, your email. But it means they snag you in a more meaningful way than if you just read their stuff. They own part of your ass then. And this campaign, however true it is, appears to have snagged them approaching a million casual visitors to commit in digi-pen-and-ink.
Well played, Cracked.