Also, I think there has been a marked decrease in 'Show HN' articles that make up to the front page. I'm not sure if both are related but if a 'Show HN' article has to compete with the whole world's news, I suppose its possible to fade away without anyone noticing.
I remember that this was under discussion a while back - whether to keep a separate tab or not - sadly, it was decided against at that time (though it might not have been needed at the time)..
