It's still a major warehouse for data and a central hub for social research.

Case in point, my wife was trying to get her Italian birthright citizenship registered (because America isn't looking so hot right now). There's a sub dedicated to people pursuing the same ends, and they all swap information on which consulates are helpful, what forms you'll need, and how to otherwise navigate the byzantine Italian bureaucracy.

Absolutely invaluable. Nothing else like it on the Internet. But yes, the website still sucks ass.