I do not wish to seem like an ass but, perhaps, you should not come back then? If you are displeased then, well, it seems logical that you would spend your time seeking somewhere that you are more comfortable and enjoy the content more so than you do here. Nobody is forcing you to enter the URL leading here (as far as I know) so you are the direct cause of your displeasure. Also, just to make sure that this is out there and not subject to debate, I am - by any stretch of the imagination - a leftist.
I do have some beliefs that I share with the left and I have some that I share with the real conservatives (not the insane folks on either side) so I self-identify as a Classic Libertarian. It is difficult to identify as such as the party has been co-opted by the right as a dumping ground for their ignorant and vocal idiots who are ashamed to identify themselves as Republicans. I, for example, strongly support gun rights but I also support Singly Payer Health Care. Single payer is cheaper in the long run and gun rights are a universal way to allow people to ensure their own safety. I do not, for instance, support government intrusion and think that things like DUI checkpoints and anti-drug laws are absurd. So I really run across the spectrum but the base of my beliefs are as minimal legislation as possible while ensuring the general safety of the populace.
I add the above paragraph to ensure that you do not think you are being replied to by a group-think leftist (or rightist) and that my political beliefs do not fit in here very well. I am, obviously, ASSuming that you're the same AC as the poster of comment #49727505. If you are not then, well, you can ignore much of this post. If you are then feel free to add additional information but, again, the root cause of your unhappiness is that you opt to continue going to a site that you dislike. To me that seems a lot like punching yourself in the face just so you can complain about the pain. It is highly illogical so perhaps I am missing something? Maybe you are a masochist? Maybe you are expecting the site to change (you are aware of the adage about insanity and doing the same thing over and over again expecting the results to be different, yes) in the interim? I agree that the site was better in the past but it is not so bad as to make me not return and I do not expect the site to change to meet my expectations, I just accept that it is different. There are still quality posts and valid educational comments that are of great benefit to me, I like learning new stuff, so I still return to mine the quality content but I don't allow myself to become disenchanted by the posts that lack quality, I just move along and accept that people are people and there is little I can do to alter that.
Yeah, TLDR but it seemed a good post to reply to and to air my thoughts on the subject. At times it does seem like it isn't worth returning but moving to a new thread about an obscure topic with only a few comments is often enough to remind me of the many benefits I have had from browsing /. in the past and will be rewarded with in the future. I find that winnowing out the chaff means that I can still find the same posting quality, though diluted, here if I maintain an open mind and don't hold people to my standards but, rather, accept them for who they are even though I don't agree with them. You are, of course, free to do as you want but that has been my solution and it has been effective for me.