Google Groups - Where did the functionality go?

Google Groups

What happened to the raw functionality that this web based news group browser once enjoyed? I know it wasn't pretty. I know that before you had to click several times to drill down into a message thread. I know that it handled http links poorly. I once used this tool relentlessly. I used it daily. I found solace in the fact that I could easily find postings that were relevant to what the heck I was looking for with great ease. That is no more.

I don't know what caused Google to change its methodology, but it is almost like the new Groups software is a more juvenile attempt at something that I considered a very robust execution of search technology. For example, there was a time when I would type in the phrase "dotnet reporting services drilldown report" and I would only get results that had something to do with a drilldown report in Microsoft's SQL Reporting Services framework. Try it now. I get results from such groups as comp.infosystems.search and alt.comp.freeware. WHAT? WHY? I would assume that the search is now doing a blind, "let's find anything that matches these specific keywords" instead of sophisticatedly finding me relevant results.

Or am I just smoking crack here? Am I missing something? Before I would bet that I could find something on Google Groups in the matter of minutes. Now I am not so sure that I will find anything relevant soon, if at all.

Come on Google. I know you guys are smarter than this!

Me