It seems to me that our front page is very static.
The so-called "Featured Blogs" just sit there, some for almost 2 months, the same 5. Of course, visitors to the site are going to click on them and probably be turned off when they see nothing of particular interest on some of them and outdated stale information on others.
The front page of our web site must be refreshing in every aspect of that word.
The returning visitor will be dismayed to find the same old stuff there day after day and will probably lose interest and not return.
The most recent posts should be featured there instead so that the visitor will get a feel for the grass roots activity and diversity of opinions that characterize the membership.
If members want to blog then their blogs should get a proper airing. How many people scan the front page and then leave without getting to the next page? A lot more than one thinks, I would say.
But the whole point is, or should be, that even when the blogs are controversial, as they often are, we should not be afraid to let the world know that we welcome independent thought in our party. It is that which will spark the interest of visitors and keep them coming back time after time.
The front page should be ever changing and dynamic.