new format

I'm a little bemused by the new format but this no doubt reflects my (very)
elementary computer skills. Are the messages being shortened under this new
format (which does not appear to be the case from those I've received)?.
The current messages appear to be like the old messages but in one long
string. If so, why is it styled a digest? Can you still get a truly
abbreviated version of the posts? I also find that under this new approach I
have to scroll down through a post before trashing it(in order not to wipe
out those underneath) which therefore takes longer than under the old
approach, where you could scan the first few lines and then wipe it. I'd
appreciate any tips from experienced computer users so as to get the most
out of this new format. Thanks...Gary M.