The question about comment points is "do I think HN works better if comment points are hidden for all users", not "do I want to see comment points myself".
And to the second point, HN is PG's experiment with the programming language he's developing and the community for his company more than an example of modern web design. The point is probably that tables were quicker and easier.
And to the second point, HN is PG's experiment with the programming language he's developing and the community for his company more than an example of modern web design. The point is probably that tables were quicker and easier.