they now show as thumbnails

What do you mean Brinke?

img.photobucket.com/albums/v24 ...

I still see a list like interface.

Yeah I'm still seeing the list version too:

farm3.static.flickr.com/2036/2 ...

You can view gadgets as thumbnails with this link: google.com/ig/directory?root=/ ...

But this link will alter the iGoogle directory layout and side links.

I now have this thumbnails layer too, but I have an intriguing link "My Community", which says: "No one in your community has written a gadget yet. You can be the first to write your own gadget".

"Write your own gadget" direct to: google.com/ig/gmchoices?synd=\ ...

I knew this "Make your own gadget" page for some time, but the idea of community seems new and seems to refer to a "network".

I'm curious to know what Google plans to do with iGoogle on its social side, and how they'll deal with orkut-iGoogle potential confusion (I bet they'll transform orkut in a dating site...).

BTW, collaborative gadgets sounds perfect for the Google Apps startpage (especially in the Team Edition).

Jérôme Flipo, the 'My Community" link was announced back in April of 2007. It allows you to see gadgets made by your contacts. For example, when I go to that area, I see Philipp's gadgets since he is on my contact list in Gmail.