I don't like the new design, but it's not that much of a distraction to me. The graphics don't dominate the page. Until Jerome et al. have the resources to convert this place from scoop to something more web 2.0 as the oil drum did, I'm not going to complain.

Sadly, threaded comment structures are still a radical idea for most of the web - on that score this place still works pretty well, even if the "science" of web design should be further advanced 15 years on than it is.

you are the media you consume.