What's the difference?

This is what I want to know too. It's been bugging me since the day I joined mylot. I tried to figure out but can't seem to. I hope someone will clarify this for us or is this one of the great mylot mysteries?

this is one of the great unknowns on mylot. I have never been near the top discussions list but very ocassionaly make it to the lower reaches of the hot topics list. As far as i can work it out, the hot topics list is those with the most responses while top discussions is a subjective assessment by the mylot admin blessed be