I think @codinghorror has recommended it a few times elsewhere, but this setup has worked well for me:
- Make categories the default landing page
- Change the logo click so that it directs you to /latest (ref )
- Encourage active users who are comfortable with discourse to set
yourdomain.com/latest
as their bookmarked page for your forum in whatever browser they are using
Categories is the default home view for my forum, but with this setup I never really see it unless I seek it out. And yet it remains available and there by default for newcomers (or those who prefer the more traditional view).
It could still be a good idea to let users set this preference for themselves, but this is a very nice setup in the meantime, I think.