It's just gotten strange lately, not the reddit I used to love. Digg didn't die all at once , it was the accumulation of smaller issues and the final straw was version 4. http://reddithistory.wikia.com/wiki/Digg_exodus I think today's events are a turning point for a lot of us who have been on the fence about staying with reddit and using it as our social news platform
yeah, i've honestly been looking for a reddit alternative for awhile now, this is just the first time i've really actively sought one out, and so far i've really taken to this site and Fark, just wish they had slightly bigger user bases.
I guess it's more visible to people that they removed something everyone was used to and seemed to like with out asking and warning. The new thing applies and is visible to everyone so I think that is why people are reacting.