FYI there's a layout selector at the top that can make it look like the old layout. The "insta" layout is just the default.

On top of this, despite obviously being designed for it, the mobile experience is borderline unusable and still obviously trying to push you towards the app. If I want to read a comment thread on new reddit, half of the comments will be hidden behind "x more replies" or "continue this thread". When I click that link, it might scroll me to a random ass article suggestion rather than the actual comment. Then, when I click back, it will scroll me to the top again, and it will reload all of the comments. Or, alternatively, it'll beg me to make an account and not even let me view the comments.

Yuck.

You can also append ".compact" to the end of a normal Reddit URL.

I think Reddit's UX anti-patterns need to be taught alongside the Digg v4 follies as ways to ruin a website.

But yup, I wholly agree with your point. The redesign feels like a mix of product managers trying to get promoted + boosting "engagement" numbers at the expense of all else.

Or perhaps we are the odd ones out - I'm sure there's been a huge growth in new users Reddit since the redesign and I doubt that new users are hankering for a different experience now that they're used to it.

I don't think there's any less demand for long form text content on the web. It's growth just isn't ever going to eclipse the snack sized content.

In the case of Reddit, there's still plenty of long form text links and discussions in the comments. The current UX doesn't make that as prominent by default but it's there. The Reddit snackers make more money because they see way more ads. As long as there's an affordance for long form text content Reddit has utility for me.

If they go full TweetBook and kill the likes of i/old Reddit then I'm out. I guess I'll try to get a lobste.rs invite or something.

The left and right margins are gigantic. Every headline takes about twice as much space, so it takes longer to read the same amount of headlines and pick out anything worth reading.

Maybe it makes sense on a newer phone, or fullscreened on a desktop. I usually run Reddit at 1000x1000 on a desktop, so it looks like crap.