Let me throw something out there.
We currently have a ignore feature for other members.
I would like to see a ignore feature for new posts on topics I am not interested in at all.

For example I read a new topic because it is in the active topics.
I have no interest in the topic and want to not be nagged by new posts that I have unread posts in that topic.

So I select a option while reading the post and I don't get a new post indicator anymore.