vbNews

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That would be the deluxe version! Perhaps poping up a form that lets you suggest/input the headline/summary text to use on the front page.

Moderators (or whatever group assigned to approve submissions) would get an PM to vist the submitted list, perhaps change texts, and then approve/disapprove submissions.

What I have learned in past 5 years running the sites, is that it is veeeery hard to get members to contribute with front page material on a regular basis. They either think that they haven't got what it takes, or simply feel more comfortable shooting from the hip inside the forum. But sometimes they do write insightful, coherent, and articulate standalone posts that is very well suited to be singled out and published on the front page.

Something similar would be great for news links to external media. Perhaps a special markup inside posts, that once used submits a link/summary text to the same publish list that the Mods also can approve and choose to publish as link to external news.

A small toolbox (with template) like vbexternal would then allow webmasters to integrate list and content into front page. RSS feeds would be nice, etc.

Anyway...

The general idea is to get your community to help out, without them actually feeling like working