No no no. No. You have it all wrong. I've upvoted this comment and replied to it with a detailed description of what you should do instead.
(Or I've upvoted this comment and a child of this comment I think is a better idea.)
Before experimenting with the Less Wrong homepage, we should start using A/B testing techniques to see how to best interest folks in Less Wrong. Here is a nifty framework:
Ideally, any user would be allowed to suggest a change to the Less Wrong introductory copy and see it tested out. Over time, we could learn what copy best interests new users, and experiment with new home page designs based on what we learn from that.
What if the front page looked a little more like this?
(Please assume that I'm trying to help. If you're polite and constructive (even if you hate this design) Omega will send you bundles of love in the post. If you're rude, I'll personally fund ninja assassins to hunt you down.)