I never have much understood why people buy what they buy. And I know a lot about sales and marketing... but I still don't "get" what motivates many purchases... other than the reality that many people are purely motivated by their egos and by a need for instant gratification, all the time.
So far, the changes seem pretty positive. And the "tribes" seem to be kicking a bit of life back into the community... seeing some people post who haven't been around in months and even years.