> For example, any user could ask for content weighted towards an arbitrary date, like “Show me content to the taste of people who registered in December 2008” or “What do the 1,000 newest users like?”
That sounds like an incredibly interesting way to navigate a social news site.
Why do we have to be afraid to simply admit that, in a social news setting, the majority community gears content toward their own likes and interests? I actually wholly agree with the premise you dismiss as "semi-sarcastic".