its definitely the way the game is set up that prevents this. With no easy access to a server browser.
Its essentially discouraging you from playing with random people, and forcing you to play with people you know/trust.
With TF2, i am happy to join any HH server, as i know it comes with a certain standard i have come to like. if the same was easy for L4D i would wander into the HH server confident that people had at least some skill.
the past couple times i have join a HH L4D server i was kicked by a bunch of randoms wanting to play by themselves. (think they could have been achievement farming too)

That is also way annoying. Not to go off topic but why do I have to type in "openserverbrowser" when I wanna join the HH servers. The join a friend thing in the corner doesn't work properly. And also when I click on anything else, why does the server browser and a server I am trying to auto-join disappear and I have to type "openserverbrowser" again?

To the normal person playing L4D using the lobby system, you will have a bigger chance of winning the lotto than getting them on the HH servers playing.

If the games full, then they will miss it, and to go from lobby will need whoever is in charge of the lobby to search for the HH from the start.

L4D lobby system sucks big time, they should have just keep the sever browser to use.

the lobby system is extremely pants
if i want to join friends, i just use the steam overlay, works everytime.

Normaly thats what i do, check to see if there are any spaces going on any friends game, then join if there is.

Maybe you guys should go take a look at HLSW, nice overviews of the current server "situation", at least I use this program and it does the job quite well.

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/6074/hlswf.jpg

Besides, finding a good server seems to be quite complicated though. :3

is there any way of bypassing steams friends playing lobby in l4d and set up a community of l4d players so people can browse easily who is in and doing what, somehow removing names if they are not on l4d?

my friend list is quiet full and unless i have 10 mins then if they are not in the top section i just wont bother and go play something else.

yes public randoms suck

hh servers always seem empty unless we go on as a group

but it is fun to smoke all four players down while your team faffs