I disagree.

Including self buffs (such as Fel Armor) make it harder for a raid leader to easily compare potential raid members. For instance if the raid leader wanted to compare a lock and a mage, does the self-buffed spell power number that each player gave indicate equal damage potential?

In general I tend to think that self-buffs are used by blizzard to help equalize between classes, the intent is for classes at identical gear level to have the potential to preform equal. If you are including self-buffs you are artifically inflating your "potential".

2k self buffed warlock =/= 2k self buffed mage.

I diagree with you Matt.

Any raid leader who is worth his salt already knows exactly what you just said. Asking for spec and stats isn't for them to be able to compare them to another class, but rather to use their knowlege to compare them to others of their own class. If they simply wanted a truly comparable number across classes, they would simply ask for something as simple as boss dps. But instead, since they should know all the classes, they may know that a destro lock with 2000 self-buffed sp and hit capped might be expected to put out a specific dps. Only a raid leader who doesn't know his stuff asks for stats and then uses them to compare different classes. And if that's the case, he's probably not smart enough to know the difference between what someone will do self buffed or non buffed. The point is to allow apples to apples comparison within a class, so as long as he's getting the same type of response from everyone he asks, he's fine with whichever he chooses to ask for. And if self buffs really are an equalizing method used by Blizz, as you believe, then why in the world wouldn't you want them included? After all, aren't they there to try and equalize the classes so to speak?

Of course, the easiest way to avoid all the confusion is just to ask for something consistent from everyone. Like Patchwork dps or something.

@ Matt J

Would you expect a shadow priest to tell you their spellpower minus the extra amount they get from Twisted Faith or an Arcane Mage to subtract their extra spellpower gained from Mind Mastery? Some classes and specs get bonuses from their talents, others from self-buffs.

I personally think that self-ONLY buffs (Fel Armor, Flametongue, etc) are fair game, but that raid buffs (MotW, Kings, etc) should not be included in the total. So a moonkin should count the extra spellpower they get from moonkin form, but not from their own MotW as well.