Not sure if this is related, but it's the closest I can find...
In the past couple days, the "Show new replies" has gone from showing lots of backed-up threads to just a few (four, I think)...which seems new, and puzzling.
I did occasionally find the earlier several pages useful in locating a thread when the (still much better) search function wasn't coughing up the one I wanted.
Was this intentional, or did it just happen?
Or did a snark indeed turn into a boojum....and melt away?
(Miss you, mouseman!)
M.