Is asking your friends to vote your HN postings to the front page ok?
jedwhite: I suspect most users (seeking interesting content) infrequently look at "new", and mostly stick to the front page.Items already on the front page get voted up more because they are already on the front page.The only stories that get on to the front page with the current algorithm are those that get a handful of votes very quickly (within first 10-20 mins).Therefore, the story selection for the front page becomes a self-reinforcing loop. The combination of the algorithm prioritizing stories that get a few votes quickly, and the fact that new stories get reduced exposure, means, I think, that it's often random whether a story makes the front. Once it does, if it's interesting it will stay there and get a lot of votes (so that works) and if it's not it will drop off again quickly.So the system is good at ranking stories that are already on the front page and keeping them there longer, but I think fails at selecting the best new content submitted. I often notice great items dropping off new that never got any votes or comments while there are less interesting ones that made the front.Without wanting to suggest damaging the simplicity that makes it such a great site for surfacing interesting stuff, maybe there could be a sidebar or secondary area on the front page with a simple headline list of the lastest new submissions separate to the "hot" items, so that all users see what's coming in, rather than the subset who consciously go to "new" to look for new stuff to vote for.Be interesting to know what the traffic difference is between the front page and "new" - that would determine if my theory had any merit.