You guys don't have an 'ignore' reature in your heads? You can't look at a thread and think "Nope, not interested in that one"?

I've worked in various places, and never understood the need for the 'ignore' feature for posts, let alone threads. If you don't like it, don't read it. No-one is compelling you to click on a thread titled "I bought an HD2".

As for the sidebar, I'd request that people keep thread titles clean (informative about content would help, too ... 'n900 question' doesn't tell me much). Beyond that, if it's what the community are talking about, I want to know. Besides "I bought an HD2" belongs in 'competitors', not 'Off Topic', so cutting 'Off Topic' won't solve your problem.

There are loads and loads of channels on my TV I never watch, websites I never visit, and threads - even whole forums - I never click on. Why do you want to restrict my choice because it isn't your choice?