There are still pathways into these trackers, which usually require luck or some amount of work on feeder trackers before you get an invite. I got in through the unofficial Reddit tracker BaconBits (RIP) back in the day—YMMV, but it doesn't change the fact that there are better trackers out there.
Unless I've known someone for a decade, they're not getting an invite.
Thanks for the confirmation that "you're not really useful to us" remains a valid statement.