There is info on where to start and kite etiquette (right of way rules) on the first page, it's in the margin on the right hand side. I found/still find this information entirely useful, maybe if people aren't seeing it it should be made more obvious?
I like the sticky threads at the top, I very much enjoyed reading them when I first discovered the site, and I would have missed out if they weren't at the top. Also, I wanted to point out that there's a difference betweeen "number of posts per page in a thread" and "number of threads on the front page" - I agree with Steve in that the front page could probably do with being a bit longer.
And finally, I'm going to use a clown face becasue this is only my second post and I've never used it before, and I think it's cute
