Wow, yeah, that was a great compilation of all, or at least most, of the issues. ++ indeed!

I think "look and feel" are very subjective issues and, unless PM became unusable as a result of the redesign, I don't think I care much one way or the other about cosmetic changes.

The "making PM friendlier to newbies" issue, though, I think is not that much of an issue. Sometimes, answers can be abrasive, sure, but mostly, I found this place no less friendly than anywhere else on the web. In fact, I think PM is less hostile than some places I've been! Granted, I try to do the basic leg-work upfront so when I ask a question I don't sound like idiot, but I learned to do that because of the harsh comments I read.
I suppose if there was a section specifically for basic tutorials or people who specifically hadn't read a Perl book or any kind or something like that, it wouldn't be a bad idea. But, other than that, I honestly don't think it's all that necessary.

So, there's my two cents, for all that's worth in the New Economy.