Timothy: "Some of you have suggested we're not listening; on the contrary, some of us are 'listening' pretty much full-time."
So Timothy, et al: "we want a platform where we can experiment with different views of both comments and stories. It's not an either/or. It's going to be both."
I think overwhelmingly people have indicated they do not want to see stories and comments on the same page. I frankly could care less what the trolls post on every single story. If there's a story I like and want to see the comments on, I can click into it and read all I want. But I don't need and/or want them on the list page.
Back on point, many folks have echoed the same perspective, yet you're still plowing forward with "it's going to be both." So either you are not listening, or far worse, you don't care what we're saying.
In any case, I think you're now bordering on the point of "jumping the shark". Continue at your own peril, but in order to appease a few in order to deliver a shiny new interface will just send the bulk of us to some other sites.