Your feedback is noted...
However. There is no turning back. We are on this version of the software, and the only direction to go from here is forward.
While a few of the longer time members are somewhat disappointed by progress (at least in my mind its progress) There are some inherent drawbacks.
1) The software is like any software... never completed. vBulletin is still working on bugs and fixes and patches to the core software, and new releases are coming out all the time. Actually, tomorrow I will try to install a patch to correct over 50 bugs from this version. Some of them are small and not noticeable even.
2) With progress comes increased site traffic, which means increased server loads. Currently our site traffic is up more than 15% since the software update, and this increase has impacted our overall performance. We are currently looking at adding another server to the mix to improve performance. (At the same time... I am now in a 3rd world country {ranked 155th in internet connection speed} using a cell phone for connection to the internet, and my page load time is pretty quick)
Yes, the site is different, but at the same time, we now have a fully featured article section, and user blog area. While these areas have not been fully developed yet, they are growing, and article submissions from professional authors are coming our way. This improvement makes ScubaBoard a more diverse site, and makes us "not just a forum."
There will always be opposition to change, and the few complaints about it don't mirror the increased traffic, and improved statistical rankings of ScubaBoard on the web as a whole. As far as all of the complaints about the software go, don't think that they go ignored... I correspond with the developers of this software, and read other people's complaints and bug reports. Ironically, many of the "clunky" features that people complain about are on their list of things to fix with subsequent updates.
Thanks for your patience and continued use through this period of change on the site...