Saw an interesting write up (please read) on learning and talking during Kriyas Hatorah.

I pretty sure I know who the author of this is and he's a great guy, a wonderful learner and all, but I think he may be a bit off on this pashat. At the end he is saying you would be permitted to talk bein gavrah l'gavrah which I don't think is how we posken.

Futhermore - the case brought down involves someone learning on the level of Rav Sheshas - that was something that was hard to reach even in the time of Rav Sheshas - all the more so today. I don't care how much Torah someone learns they can't be considered to be as high as Rav Sheshas - that they don't need to listen to leining.

Just my take.

I don't disagree with you in principle, but how can you be sure that no one learns "on the level" of R. Sheses, whatever that means?

[Off topic]
The Mishnah Berurah in his introduction to Chelek Aleph, cites the gemara on 8a אוהב ה' שערי ציון מכל משכנות יעקב אוהב ה' שערים המצויינים בהלכה יותר מבתי כנסיות ומבתי מדרשות והיינו דאמר ר' חייא בר אמי משמיה דעולא מיום שחרב בית המקדש אין לו להקב"ה בעולמו אלא ארבע אמות של הלכה בלבד that learning halachah takes primacy over learning gemara and assumes that one who learns gemara is already fully conversant in Shulchan Aruch.
[/Back on topic] - continue learning gemara.