We'll see how it goes—if enough folks complain, we can revisit :). I wanted the content to be in the absolute forefront with this update. That meant not affixing the top navbar and downplaying the side nav. I think it's super helpful, but again, I'm open to reversing things again if it'd be better for more folks.
It's almost a web standard that navigation links are on the left.
That's not really an argument, and that isn't standard navigation to begin with. It's for in-page links and the links highlight as you scroll. I would argue that it's perfectly intuitive.
I like it this way. Less intrusive, but easy to find when you want it.
I like the links on the right, but I think the main navbar should be affixed. Having to scroll all the way up to get back to it is a pain, especially on the longer pages.
I prefer the fixed topnav. scrolling all the way up to go between pages sucks. (alternately, a scroll to top link)