sticking to a very old design, and refusing to update and adapt to current design patterns and styles while everything about technology/devices and how we use them changes daily: feels like a sub-culture

Well they tried to use "current design patterns and styles" for the redesign, and it led to a bloated, slow, bad user experience. That's either an indictment of modern web patterns or just a bad implementation of them. I think it's a bit of both.

The actual visual design of the new site is better. Its just functionally crap and loaded with spyware/adverts.

> it led to a bloated, slow, bad user experience

are you sure that this isn't mostly true for HN crowd? I have seen more and more people participate in reddit recently.

I'm pretty sure people visit Reddit for the content, not because they particularly enjoy the hoops Reddit makes them jump through before finally getting to said content.

Reddit has a problem: they are a subculture. Or rather, they’re a network of subcultures. The day they try to force everyone to go mainstream is the day they die. Or at best, the day they become yet another Facebook.

The subculture will move on and find a new place to congregate. But it will forever be pursued by the mainstream. This is Eternal September.

Do you get that vibe from Craigslist?

The only reason why I use Craigslist is for the network effect. The site is garbage but I haven't found a sufficient alternative.

Craigslist is utilitarian and ugly like a phone book. Reddit is a social media network, which strikes me as different.

Having said that, I used Reddit more like a phone book than a social media network, so the redesign is lost on me.

somewhat, but cragslist is way too simple and very well-known to keep new users away.