Offtopic, but why do people design websites this [1] way? The content isn't even a fourth of the page width, then the rest of the page is filled with random art

Offtopic, but why do people design websites this [1] way? The content isn't even a fourth of the page width, then the rest of the page is filled with random articles, newsletter signup and follow buttons. The topic sounds interesting, but the presentation is incredibly off-putting. 1: http://i.imgur.com/Obxuj9A.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Obxuj9A.jpg