I was just coming here to bitc.... Complain about that. Figured I'd skim the thread to see if someone had brought it up already.
Also, if possible, it'd be great if they could make the main text entry box the next tab stop for keyboard shortcuts. I know web forms are a bit different, but it's annoying having to take my hands off the keyboard then use the mouse to click into the main text entry box or keep tabbing over all the formatting buttons. Been a while since I've done anything with JavaScript, but maybe there's a way to capture the tab keystroke and then redirect the focus. At least until someone finally invents the ever elusive "focus follows mind" system.
And if you ask me, the whole new layout has potential, but it's a little too fisher-price for me. The bright pastel colors make me think of a children's book or something. Maybe I'm in the minority, but I like something a bit less Dr. Seus and a bit more professional, so somewhat more muted colors, more text and fewer idiotic icons. So like instead of a thumbs up/down icon, maybe a simple, tasteful, text link. I'd honestly just as soon the whole like/dislike thing go away, but if it's going to stick around then at least make it a bit less garish. Right now it seems to dominate the entire post unless the post is long enough to force it further down the page. The human eye is drawn to bright flashy things, so they're naturally going to lock onto these stupid icons and not the actual TEXT of the post. Then you have to try and put them out of your mind while you're reading the post, and the closer you get to the end the harder that will be the more they move from the periphery to your main field of view.
Maybe as a compromise, just make it a collapsible element like the report a post link. Someone wants to say they like/dislike something, they can click on an icon in that little row of (currently) three, then a new form element is exposed where they can select like/dislike, see what other people's thoughts are assuming they give a gerbil's rear. You could even go one further, and let people filter comments so only those with at least one "like" vote show up, or maybe for more review oriented forums they can filter for the negative comments. Slashdot's forums would probably be a good place to draw inspiration from. Especially how they have different categories, saying how you like this post because it's informative, or this one is disliked because it's off-topic. They also do a good job of keeping those elements out of the way of the actual content of the post.
Like I said, the current layout has some promise, but it just kind of seems like your stereotypical white trash teenage girl who doesn't know the meaning of overboard when it comes to makeup. There are just too many elements which all seem to be screaming for attention and just make things confusing.