I've just played with this a bit, and now I'm trying to organise my thoughts..
Reading all this discussion, I remember that for quite a time I wanted to have parts of NN threaded. What I would actually like to see, would be the top part of NN (everything except the Notes) stay the same as it is, and the Notes part be threaded in itself, just showing new notes for the day/timeframe, omitting extraneous older nodes.

Having said that, when I first looked at the threaded version, I thought "Too Much Information", even though the default selection says "Last 1 days", its showing older nodes, for the purpose of 'connecting' the root node to the new note. I think this is unnecessary. (The full threaded view, which I noticed afterwards, is just too huge for words :) - I would advocate (since we like options these days), a third view, which just shows the root node, and any new notes, omitting the connecting, older nodes.

As for the font sizes, I think they just make things look ugly, sorting by a vague 'newest first' should be enough, in my opinion, since the point of threads isnt usually to indicate age at all , just relationship.

A further thought, since most of the nodes are listed purely because they have replies in the last day, what about showing things backwards? Ie last reply first, root node last?

On a positive note, its really nice to finally see which new replies whch nodes have gotten, it makes me realise how much Ive been missing. (I rarely if ever scan the bottom part of NN, or look for replies to my nodes or ones Ive written in)

I'm hoping if this or something likes it gets to be a real node, that SoPW "Questions" will get sorted nearer the top. ,)

On a side note, I think Newest Nodes itself has gotten a little cluttered recently. In a flash of inspiration, Ive just wondered if we cant have a nodelet that lists those new nodes types which cannot be replied to, (Eg: FAQs, users, htmlcodes, other internal bits) and ban them from NN?

C.