| Hedra42 said: Another solution might be to divide the Hot Topic column into 4 segments (Gaming, Sales, Website, Off-topic). That way all discussion types would be more evenly represented and it would prevent the entire hot topics column from being swamped with threads on one subject (remember NX speculation threads). Dividing the hot topics column could allow you to go one further and control the weighting of the hot topic types. For example, of the 16 currently displayed, 12 could be dedicated to Gaming and Sales sections, with 4 dedicated to Website and Off-topic. Doing this would reduce the number of political threads, control where they appear on the front page, while still making them prominent enough to entice those who are interested. One advantage of having the four forum sections showing as sub headings in the hot topic column, is that they provide immediate visible links to the forum sections users might be most interested in browsing - something that is only possible via a drop-down to the forum index, currently. Here's one example of the many ways in which the Hot Topics column could be divided and weighted.
Hot Topics advertises what's going on in the community and I think that removing politics discussion or any other subforum from Hot Topics could risk misrepresenting what the community as a whole is currently talking about. Also taking the entire Hot Topics column out completely would reduce the visibility of the community to first time visitors and lurkers. It's too good a feature to lose, I think. These solutions - if they're possible to do - make a compromise and are flexible - they allow users and visitors to see what's being discussed in Hot Topics without one section overpowering any of the others. |
There are many solutions to those who don't wish to see politics threads on the front page. The ones you mentioned are good, the ones already implemented are also good.
I don't understand why many of you want to solve this issue in radical way that would displease others instead of taking a more reasonable approach like the one Hedra42 is taking here.
Whatever change you want to see, it will only happen when higher powers interfere (ioi or Trucks), and this happens once in a blue moon. So mods might as well take their time to find the right solution that would please everyone.
A simple filter for the front page would work best. Dividing the hot topics into sections like it used to be during vgc 2 days is also a good idea. Radically removing the sections you don't like from the front page is the laziest of the 3.
