i think the reddit system of featuring one new story on the front page would be good. Show a story to a 100 users...if it doesn't get an upvote...retire it, if it does show it to another 100...if a story doesn't get 5 upvotes...retire it.
Unfortunately, from my experience, HN has become a bit of an echo chamber in the sense that certain posters have a lot better chance of having their articles noticed than the majority; irrespective of the relative value of the individual articles.
I don't have data to support; but with the current system it feels like HN is increasingly pushing users into two extremes - new users (who have an extremely difficult time of getting anything noticed) and longterm posters (those who whatever they post gets noticed and promoted). Long-term this is not conducive to a healthy, growing community.
^ Digg
It's also an echo chamber in terms of ideas. Why is it that when a woman does a reverse job application she gets 4 upvotes, but when a guy copies her two years later he's 'a genius' and gets 450+ upvotes?
Why is it that when a woman does a reverse job
application she gets 4 upvotes, but when a guy
copies her two years later he's 'a genius' and
gets 450+ upvotes?
Your implication that sexism is the cause is pathetic.