Aside for some controversial subjects, which seem to get an extra ding from dang, it appears to me that articles get boosted to the front page by getting a good

Aside for some controversial subjects, which seem to get an extra ding from dang, it appears to me that articles get boosted to the front page by getting a good number of votes quickly. There's enough turnover here that many would not have seen (or remembered :) the earlier articles.