I'm with you, it's like going from a flourishing tropical garden, bursting and bulging with information,
to the surface of the moon. Or at least a landscape as bleak and spare as a frozen polar ice cap.

There are a few scattered shoots and leaflets poking their heads through the snow, giving you a
smattering of "news of the day," but it's no comparison.

I think all the extra white space has to do with making the site attractive to mobile phone users.

On another thread, I said:

"There really should be two versions, a slimmed-down mobile app interface,
along with a full-screen option for the rest of us.

I don't see why a minority of high-rent, latest-Droid or iPhone hipsters
should dictate the look and feel of DU. Unless their votes count more,
because that demographic is more attractive to advertisers, or something
like that.

My first impression was really bad. I got out right away. But a second
look suggests that's what's going on."