Absolutely agree, I generally prefer the public concourses to the lounges during 'average' connections of an hour or so. I time my arrival at the airport to breeze to the gate and add a slight fudge factor; I'd rather spend my time away from the airport than in a lounge prior to a flight of any length.

Of course, 4+ hr layovers are made infinitely more tolerable when inside a flagship lounge, but as we're talking about MLLs, I'd rather spend that time finding something active to occupy my time - even if it means passing through security again.