It's not immediately obvious to a new user that there even is a <READMORE> tag. When I first posted here, I expected the script to handle that automatically, as there was only one textarea to type into.

Perhaps the <READMORE> tag could be mentioned more prominently in the help documents and/or two textarea fields made available in the posting form (one for the "lead paragraph" or summary and one for the main text).

I'm not sure that adding the majority of posts to the front page would be a good idea, as that would also mean that posts were removed more quickly, given that there are a finite number that can be featured there.

I was under the impression that the purpose of the front page was to draw attention to the more noteworthy posts rather than ensure that everyone gets their "15 minutes of fame". The former would be more consistent with the "front page of a newspaper" analogy after all.

Yes, new users might be confused if their post isn't featured, but it would be just as confusing if it quickly "disappeared". They may not return for a day or so after they find out that their post doesn't appear instantly, by which time it may have been dropped off the bottom of the front page anyway.

I would suggest that moderators approve articles for inclusion into the most suitable sections, and the higher ranked admins feature 2 or 3 of these per day on the front page, thus keeping the front page fresh, but not excessively so.