You have to see it in the context of British tabloids (mass-readership, low-brow newspapers), especially of the 80s and 90s. The Register was emulating this style of irreverant journalism. For example have a look at some Sun headlines: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3654446.stm

Yeah, that's exactly why I never really got into the site; I got the joke, it just seemed weirdly awkward and off-putting, like having a coworker who talks like a pirate all day, every day. It's funny at first, but it drives you crazy after a while.

if they do it long and consistently enough i think i would oscillate between finding it funny and driving me crazy

And particularly if you were on the receiving end of a bit of excessive snark you sort of ended up having to talk people down that it's just The Reg being The Reg. And, of course, if you follow that style, you will overdo it not infrequently. I could name a few people on Twitter like that.

It can be funny but it can also get in the way of serious points you want to make.

Funny enough, as a person whose native language is not English, The Register always went above my head. I knew it was meant to be snarky or funny, but it always left me stumbling and I never was quite sure if not the whole page was just an elaborate shitjoke.

As a non native speaker who has watched everything Monty Python and read everything Adams and Pratchett (in English, i mean they're translatable but it's a HARD job), I loved the old El Reg.

When they changed tone i just thought they got bought out and gave up.

As a Brit: Can I suggest this is not because your native language isn't English.... but is beacuse you are unfamiliar with our rather sly sense of humour?