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Some forums have "Sticky threads" Link

stackoverflow and superuser can also have some sticky threads equivalent or something like a two day sticky.

The concept: Suppose I roll out my new funky browser and junta goes crazy about it. You can make a thread containing all the discussions regarding it a "time limited sticky". This time can be based on the popularity, like some 1000 views = x days etc. What this will do is any user visiting the site can know of the current happenings in fields that might as well interest him/her. And as these are tie limited, they will not unnecessarily clutter the main page.

May be try it out in testing, if it works you can probably use it in the main website.

I think you guys might have thought this before. Then, why did you reject the idea? I would love to hear from you on this.

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(-1) for the reasons in my answer. –  devinb Sep 14 '09 at 23:11
Dupe-ish: meta.stackexchange.com/questions/9112/… –  Jonathan Sampson Sep 15 '09 at 12:35

4 Answers 4

up vote 6 down vote accepted

The views on the main page are broken down as follows:

  • Active - Listing whatever questions have had the most recent answers/edits or asking.
  • Newest - Listing whatever questions were asked most recently
  • Hot - Some kind of calculation (I don't pretend to understand) based on views answers, edits and comments.
  • Featured - Bounties and such.

Based on those four options the behaviour you described already exists in the HOT tab. You said that the sticky items would only be the ones that everyone is going crazy about and wants to see, which is exactly what the HOT tab is for. If a couple of questions are actively blowing up with interest, they will quickly bubble to the top of that list.

As Olafur said, all the questions are created equally, they will bubble to the top based on the rules that already exist. Having one person select certain questions as being 'the important ones' is wildly unfair to everyone else.

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When will you learn to link to your answer, when you make a (-1) comment? This is the INTERNET! LINK IT! Oh, and +1... –  Ladybug Killer Sep 15 '09 at 7:06
Usually I haven't written the answer yet. –  devinb Sep 15 '09 at 12:06
Then change the order! –  Ladybug Killer Sep 15 '09 at 12:18
But my urge to downvote is usually immediate and unstoppable. My desire to explain myself takes longer. –  devinb Sep 15 '09 at 12:49
Delay the comment, not the downvote. –  Ladybug Killer Sep 15 '09 at 17:52


All questions are created equal. And this is not a news site. So recent happenings do not belong.

My 2c.

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Stack Overflow, and the rest of the sites, are all about asking and answering questions. What makes one question so important that it needs to be floated to the top on all views?

However, there has been important 'announcements' on the top of the site just under (or above?) the the Questions / Tags / Users / Badges / Unanswered links, such as the one alerting people of the votes for the new moderators for Super User.

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The moderators can set those, with special permission from you know who :) –  Diago Sep 15 '09 at 7:42
Stephanie Myer? –  David Pearce Sep 15 '09 at 7:52

News about stack overflow goes on the blog and here on Meta. I see no reason to mix announcements and questions on SO.

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