Wow... that's a large paragraph! (This is a euphemism hinting that you should add a few returns)
So by the old times, you mean when that one dude (I think) Ballsup was trolling the entire game constantly? I would say the least mature person on this thread is bounds more mature than Ballsup.
And the old PT was not diverge of its crappy saves. Truthfully if I had to choose one, the new PT rocks. I mean, look what is possible!!! I remember how amazed people were when I made the first clock on TPT. Now a clock is the first thing anybody makes in electronics these days (granted, it is a tad easier now!).
While TPT is certainly flooded with saves (many of... questionable value) the saves that deserve some limelight always seem to make it there, and those that do not fall into the void that is the PT save directory.
The front page not being filled with awesome stuff is simply because we're not pumping out new elements and versions every week. In all honesty, there's barely anything different about the game community now than there was when this forum was just a feedback list.
The original community of TPT (while small-ish, and friendly) was not a cooperative place. There has always been, and there always be that sense of friendly (or not-so-friendly) competition. It is always a race =P.
Let me explain this... Some of the original users of the first server have experienced this with helplessness. There were a number of users who would self vote, spam, and steal repeatedly without deleting the saves, and no moderators to help. By spam I mean the entire directory was filled with a ONE particular stolen save. Also the majority of the front page was stolen self voted, saves by the same user. Most notably ballsup. What you all currently have here is something I or most of the original Skylark server users didn't have. Even if there is some trolling and saves being stolen, there is some authority helping keep it down.