This site has never been busier. Doesn't mean it is better, just busier.
What makes the site actually "better" is constructive, positive engagement with one another. Sadly as of late, there are a minority of hyper opinionated, rude, freaks that try to make themselves feel better by taking their natural negativity out on others while ironically complaining about "what is wrong here".
Regarding blogs... yes, they were taken down because they were hacked - but lets remember them how they were: Extremely unfrequented. As in, less than .01% of the sites traffic.
There are significantly better, more appropriate tools for blogging than what the site offered: e.g. Blogger or Wordpress. You can link to either in your profiles and offer a far better experience than we had here.