This webmastering thing has really changed my way of surfing the net. Earlier I just to type what I am searching for in G, and say wow this is great website, and spend some time reading. Now, I look at design, I look powered by link in footer, look at little green bar on my browser and eventualy check backlinks. I don't sort websites like good and bad, I sort them like turnkeys, or default instalation of some php script and so long. I can't enjoy web like before and I think I lost that forever. Do you feel the same way?
I see all the angles you see when I look at a site but it does not make me enjoy surfing any less. I take one look at a made for Adsense sight and exit immediately.
It's the same with anything... for example movies, they are impressive until you start looking at the extras on DVDs like commentaries and you find out the process isn't as amazing as you might think.
I'm with you, Shannon. When I listen to a band or an orchestra, I single out individual instruments and follow them for a few moments at a time, or I watch one of the musicians to look at his/her technique. I see all the threads and pieces there but I also hear the overall sound. Seeing "the foreground" doesn't detract at all from my enjoyment of the music.
I agree that it's better to know some things so you can see "suggested links" are adsense actually(or some affiliate programs) and not some good links to help you. Many more examples like this are better from this point of view, but I see there is some proffesional deformation present and that spoils my previous look. Guess you can't have everything.