Same here. I am considering writing a wrapper in front of the admin pages, with _lots_ of buttons removed. (Don't hold your breath for that, though.) Perhaps a newbie/expert toggle on the interface would be helpful. Lots of listadmins at the site here are overwhelmed by the sheer _amount_ of buttons.
Most people don't care about options. On my site I have tried to streamline the registration process: there is a popup window where you can type in your email, and sub/unsub (whether you are or not already subscribed).
See for instance http://listes.rezo.net/popup/ (click on the first link).
But the second most important place for usability is the welcome message, which is loaded with options and jargon. I have replaced it with (in French):
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
%(welcome)s Votre adresse est inscrite sur la liste %(real_name)s@%(host_name)s
Merci.
Pour vous désabonner, une page vous est réservée %(optionsurl)s %(umbrella)s Ce mot de passe empêchera quiconque de vous désabonner contre votre gré : %(password)s.
Autres informations sur la liste %(real_name)s : %(listinfo_url)s
>>>>>>
But I still find it too complex; we should get rid of the password thing. People just nedd to know where they can see more options.
As for the web interface, from what I've seen I think GoogleGroups has got the slickest interface for the moment.
-- Fil