>>IMHO UT != FB. I don't need to see the pictures, just content.
>
>Yes, but, we have to see about the evolution of the product. All major players, such as all applications of Atlassian, either corporate or not, have social context related to it. We just can't walk away from any visual interaction as we won't have any new members. The addition of image support at the message level is just one example.

I certainly see your point about evolution (and realizing I am becoming one of the old ones...) but for me content is king, the rest is distraction.
Hope you can find budget to keep clutterfree settings available as an option.