that front page carousel idea is awesome... or if there are stats on the backend showing areas on this site that get hit the most for longer periods of time, then put the carousel there...

there is a disconnect betwixt gallery user and forum dwellers, in my opine, and while your suggestion of more forum challenges is cool, Wolf, it means that one has to actually go to that forum to become aware of it.  i just mean i've seen challenges posted in forums before that i never knew about prior to forum viewing, and i've also see that such challenges seem to have a smaller response than one might want.  is it due to challenge ideas that aren't the 'right' thing to engage folks?  is it lack of end-user awareness? is it some other reason, or a combination of factors?  i know i'm not in any real position to be able to answer that, but the carousel idea might be able to address awareness issues.

and to further expand on that, it could run in tandem with a little blurb in a newsletter since not everyone hits the front page, and not everyone subs to the newsletter, if that makes sense - increase the potential of awareness...

have Ricky or Jen or Caroline write a little article and post it under the Community>Featured tab... that type thing

and if it doesn't net results after a certain amount of reasonable time, then try something else. 

yes, web dev costs money and time, and it'd be great to think that a site could be designed and remain somewhat static for awhile, esp. since this site has a history of user outcries whenever anything truly changes.  thing is is that in part is due to the fact that changes here have been either backend small or way too much too fast, so people are not really asked to be flexible too oft.  the small little changes that have been occurring here over the past 4-6 months have been very non-disruptive, so yay on you guys for that. but i think if slightly larger changes happened more frequently, it might not be a bad thing.  i'm NOT talking functionality, but i am talking about adding/removing things now and again to refine the site and gear it towards actual engagement.  

i really am not expressing myself well here, too many thoughts in my head at once, but i guess what i am trying to express is that the site itself is a reflection of 'investment' not only in its 'mission', but in its people, too... ALL people, from backend to frontline mod to end-user.  that 'reflection of investment' can be felt by the end-user.. so try new things, weigh and measure those, adjust accordingly, and keep doing that... love us users enough to try a myriad of things that nurture us.  do that and i'll bet you get nurtured in return by an increase in the bottom line, so to speak...