I like it too, especially that it’s short. You might consider putting ‘featured articles’ above ‘recent articles’ if that page is geared for newcommers.
I agree that there’s too much unchanging material at the top of the page. I recommend something much shorter, with a link to a few paragraphs for getting started.
Another possibility is that the existing intro only appears if you show up at the home page without being logged into an account.
I think LW is somewhat of an exception to this rule, at least for newcomers. And those who come to check the site frequently can just bookmark the /promoted url.
I don’t know anything about SEO, but wouldn’t giving the main page unchanging text that summarizes what the site is about help us appear higher in searches, as well?
I don’t know anything about SEO, but wouldn’t giving the main page unchanging text that summarizes what the site is about help us appear higher in searches, as well?
Not at all, Google strongly favors “fresh” content. I don’t think the change will make any real difference though; there’s still the same amount of fresh content at a different URL, and (I assume) most searches point to a specific post rather than the front page.
Y Combinator doesn’t have any content to put on the front page. It’s a business. The blog and news sites are secondary to informing people what it is that Y Combinator does. If they sold something then I’d argue that what they sell should be frontmost but they don’t. LessWrong is all content so the content should be upfront.
I like the new front page, I think it’s better than jumping straight into the articles.
I like it too, especially that it’s short. You might consider putting ‘featured articles’ above ‘recent articles’ if that page is geared for newcommers.
Disagree very strongly. The first thing you should see on any website is content. Splash pages are extremely poor design.
I agree that there’s too much unchanging material at the top of the page. I recommend something much shorter, with a link to a few paragraphs for getting started.
Another possibility is that the existing intro only appears if you show up at the home page without being logged into an account.
I think LW is somewhat of an exception to this rule, at least for newcomers. And those who come to check the site frequently can just bookmark the /promoted url.
I don’t know anything about SEO, but wouldn’t giving the main page unchanging text that summarizes what the site is about help us appear higher in searches, as well?
Not at all, Google strongly favors “fresh” content. I don’t think the change will make any real difference though; there’s still the same amount of fresh content at a different URL, and (I assume) most searches point to a specific post rather than the front page.
The new front page is similar to the one at ycombinator.com, which hosts a very successful group blog.
Also, you’ve stretched the meaning of “splash page” too much IMHO.
Y Combinator doesn’t have any content to put on the front page. It’s a business. The blog and news sites are secondary to informing people what it is that Y Combinator does. If they sold something then I’d argue that what they sell should be frontmost but they don’t. LessWrong is all content so the content should be upfront.
Agreed, will make it a lot easier when I’m referring people to the site.
Agreed. Nicely encapsulates every reason a newcomer might want to stay.
Agreed!