As someone who's not familiar with MetaFilter, my initial impression is that the design feels outdated and I can't quickly identify how the site works or the value it provides.
I'm sure that over time I could grow to love MetaFilter, and possibly even find value in the qualities that give me this impression. But perhaps Google has an algorithm that lowers the rankings of sites that scare away casual users who stumble upon it from a Google search result (High and/or quick bounce rate maybe?).
I'm sure that over time I could grow to love MetaFilter, and possibly even find value in the qualities that give me this impression. But perhaps Google has an algorithm that lowers the rankings of sites that scare away casual users who stumble upon it from a Google search result (High and/or quick bounce rate maybe?).