I used to have the articles page as the home page, but there's not enough content being generated for that, so I reverted it to the forum list default which is working quite well.
The idea had been that the front page content would drive conversation, but it's hard coming up with articles every day, so all people end up seeing are an almost static articles page, making the site look dead. As it is now, there's movement every single day, even if it's just me creating a new thread or two, or replying, which has succeeded in me having a small, but dedicated community. Note that this is purely a hobby project and has no ads, so this level of activity is a success for me, if modest.
I've had the odd troll join too and start causing trouble with rants and unpleasantness, but they didn't last long. I don't want activity at any cost, that's for sure. NerdZone is a pleasant and welcoming place for everyone and will stay that way.