"What's New" section on front page? + email notification functionality

[Chuck78]

Is it possible to add a section to the main page with the forum's software so that it shows recently active topics with new replies or new posts in general without having to click the Quick Links hamburger menu bar on the top left and then clicking either New Posts or Unread Posts etc?
This will increase forum browsing users' engagement most definitely, as one is less likely to be clicking on every forum or even knowing that the two options exist on the Quick Links menu to see this. Just putting it at the top of the main forum page view will give more traffic to topics here, and keep the forum more active.

Also. a weekly digest type email sent to members, similar to what ThumperTalk and perhaps ADV Rider do, would be of great benefit to increase forum user engagement.


Additionally, I realized once again, that the email notifications feature that works once a year or thereabouts, for a very short time, has again ceased functioning, as I am receiving no email notifications once again of any subscribed topics, private messages notifications, etc as I have been and still am signed up for. Any ideas why this feature works so sporadically?

[SS109]

Hopefully Julien D will be along to answer these questions as he handles everything that concerns forum software and functionality.

[Chuck78]

https://www.google.com/search?q=phpbb+w ... front+page

I don't have any administrator/moderator experience managing these forums, but it looks like it is possible to do what I was suggesting would be beneficial, using some sort of extension.