I thought posting on the site slowed down. It seems the problem is that only the posts of my friends are making my main page. I noticed a new pic on the side panel for the Halloween Contest and found out there were several contributors that I hadn't voted for because they never showed up on my feed.

Following somebody doesn't get them in my feed either.

It's not my settings or their settings. Ex:

https://sheerwhenwet.com/profile/malibuginger  I click her profile pic on the left side of the page, I can see her updates there, but not on main page.

https://sheerwhenwet.com/profile/LJ11  I click her profile on the left side of the page, and I'm blocked by her settings (which is cool) but her updates used to show up on main page.

Nobody has joined, according to the main page, since mid October. If I click on "new members" linked on main page, the post stating they joined isn't visible on their page. Nobody has entered any contest since mid October.

The SWW format has changed...to make the site faster, you now only see postings on the main feed from only those who are your SWW friends. The contest photos no longer appear on the main feed since this update change either.

If you can only see your friends and visa versa, how do you make new friends? You cannot see the new members and they cannot see you.

I get the impression that from now onwards my friends and posts are in a close loop and unable to evolve

When you are on the main page, there is a partial list of others that are also on line at that time.  If you hover your cursor over a profile picture, you will see the screen name.  If you click on it and it not a private member, you will get their info, comments, and pictures.  Also is you see the name of someone who has commented on another's news feed, you can click on their name and get to their page.  Hope this helps.  I have done this to find new friends.