It's possible to make a site simpler and more straightforward for users by making it prettier. Really good web design is very subtle; things like giving small but definite visual cues for where posts begin and end, or making the "reply" link a slightly different color from the post so it doesn't look like part of the post -- these small changes do more than look pretty, they also lower the cognitive load on the user and make it feel simpler.
A lot of what Reddit has been doing to their interface has been tiny changes that make it feel simpler. Good web design is something to be appreciated; great web design makes you forget that it's even there.
There's minimalistic and then there's insufficient. I'm all for keeping it simple and functional, but a little aesthetic snazz can contribute to the end goal.
I couldn't find the 'Reply' link for a moment -- and I'm not even THAT blind. ;) Looking forward to that update!
