Hi @Frustr8! I'm not sure I fully understand some of your concerns here and am hoping you may be able to help clarify for me.
1) What do you mean you are given no 'credit' for number of previous postings? Are you referring to the item in the original app that showed the number of posts when you clicked on your name?
2) I've gone through the original app and am unsure of where you saw your ranking (eg: Guru In Training)? I can't find it listed anywhere in the original app, though it's possible I'm simply missing it.
3) When you say you have no followers nor are you following anything - I can verify that you don't have any followers and as for the "following" I believe you're referring to "Following" that's listed on your profile in the new app, in which case you are correct - you are not following any members.
4) "What gives with that bar that gives super sized emoji" - I think you're referring to the ability to react to posts. The one that shows a Heart (like), a Trophy (thanks), a Laughing emoji (Haha), a Confused emoji (confused) and a Sad Emoji (sad)? If so - these are reactions, which replace the more basic "Like" or don't like functionality of the older app. You can still "Like" the content, by selecting the heart, but you can also utilize one of the other reactions I mentioned if they seem more aligned with your feeling toward the post.
P.S. Thank you VERY VERY much for providing feedback.