I am trying to fathom how The Siyum© is a most egregious example of using the Torah as a kardom lachpor bo and not an example of a major Kiddush Hashem .
I eagerly await The Siyum© every 7 and 1/2 years. It is a gathering of hundreds of thousands of jews – men, women and children – rejoicing in learning Torah together with the Gedolai Yisroel.
Torah learning is for every Jew. If Daf Yomi fits your derech, then follow it. If a different learning program is better suited for you then don’t follow it. There are no klalim. We do not have neviim nowadays that can tell every Yid what their shoresh neshama is and what their tafkid in learning is.