I'm spending [i]more[/i] time here, but only because I didn't really spend any time here before (and am now thoroughly regretting it).
I have a hard time with the new layout. Reverse chronological posting has been an option on most boards I frequent, but never the default - and it's confusing. I can see the value in giving new comments a voice, rather than "Oh, I didn't get to post in the first page before this thread became popular, might as well not post at all." However, that lends itself best to the short-attention-span demographic that's 'up and coming.'
[EDIT: I should note here; Bungie is a business. In the long run, catering to this demographic insures it's ongoing success. Doesn't mean I like it, but them's dollar bills.]
Mind you: that's only one element of the many things you touched on, but I think it's one of the bigger ones.
I hope Bungie recognizes the need for some tweaking, and can bring these forums to a 'happy medium.' As those of us (yourself included I'm sure) who have been around technology for a while know, things are always changing, and clinging to the old is a great way to become obsolete. This new layout just seems to have gone thermonuclear on the old, ignoring that it ever existed, rather than adding newer elements (some of the tagging, following, like/dislike buttons for instance) to a more 'traditional' forum layout. Give the new kids something to play with that suits their "SQUIRREL!" mentality while letting those of us who care for more deep discussion continue to have it in a more familiar format.
I agree about reverse chronological presentation. The idea that users will want to filter threads by popularity, latest, etc. AND THEN view responses by the most recent instead of by progression of the conversation is stupid. You lose all context and discussion. You end up with a bunch of one-off thoughts, or a bunch of mini-threads. It's like someone tried to build a threaded experience to mirror how people used the old bungie.net, but failed to realize that when you build that experience, you break the depth and interaction. That interaction is stopped by forcing users to funnel into it.
I really hate [u]using[/u] bungie.net now, and it makes me super sad.