It is less obvious on a PC, but on a phone with a small screen, there is far too much dead/open space between posts and it requires a fair amount more scrolling to look through the feed.
Like others have mentioned, I had zero problems with the old format. I also have not really found any specific area that is "better" with the new format.
I think the layout is far cleaner and more organized and appreciate the effort you guys have put in (and just to clarify, I visit the site on a laptop, rarely do so on mobile). I'm also never a fan of popup ads, but recognize that the bills have to be paid. The only nit I would pick is that there does seem to be more wasted space on either side when you click into discussions/threads—they don't span as wide as the main board view. Perhaps there's some logic to that, but it feels like an inefficient use of space. Other than that, looks great.
Oh yeah, there is one other thing I'll mention, though it has nothing to do with layout. I wonder if there might be a way to allow a user to sort discussions/threads/posts on the board by activity? Currently it only sorts based on when the original post that initiates a threaded discussion was created. I've been on other boards where you can sort threads based on most recent activity, which is kinda nice because you can immediately see what conversations are most active. Just a thought.
I preferred its more dense, compact format (similar to how I have my email client configured). But like I said, I can definitely get used to the new changes with no problem.
Really just looking to iterate on it along the way. I can tell you all that it has bothered us for years that the main site and forum never matched so it was a big deal for us to get the two in much better alignment. That said, we can make changes to the format and layout faster and easier than ever before so we can keep tweaking along the way. For instance, I want to get a right sidebar added that integrates the content from the main site better here and has more utility-type links.
Not sure I would use those words...but in no uncertain terms, it is an attempt to fix something that was not broken...and a poor attempt at that. My fondest hope is that the old format is returnable and that the one (s) responsible for its demise are capable of seeing the obvious and initiating the return.