If this has been discussed on the forums before then I apologize. I did a quick search and didn't see anything that looked like it was dedicated solely to this topic.
I know that a number of players that post on the forums are looking for a more persistent world experience in STO, and I don't disagree with all of their arguments. I also understand the need for instancing in STO and the need to make sure the sector blocks and stations aren't completely overrun with people. Frankly, I think the sector blocks are perfectly populated right now with about 40-50 in each. Space is supposed to be relatively empty, not covered with vessels.
But I believe the way to fix this is to make the Sol system (and Qo'Nos system) persistent zones that everyone enters and exits.
I'm not sure how feasible this is with the engine, and perhaps it's a change that might take a year or more to establish, but knowing that Cryptic is fleshing out the Solar system to include the planets out to Pluto, there would be enough distributed space throughout the system that multiple space stations and living quarters can be built all over the place. This would allow players to segregate into different areas, perhaps preferring to frequent a particular base in orbit around Mars or a certain Lunar colony, where their friends hang out.
Perhaps it would be best to leave Spacedock as an instanced zone, then once you arrive at Spacedock in your instance, you have a number of buttons to select to take off for various planets, and then at each planet zone you get an option of various bases to visit.
That way players can always start out at a relatively manageable Spacedock and then branch out as they become seasoned players to the persistent zones around the other planets and asteroids. (Gotta have a few asteroid bases to hang out at.) Missions that require you to visit Admiral Quinn or E'glenn at Spacedock would also remain undisturbed by these remaining in the instanced Spacedock zone.
This would allow persistent housing to be located at these distributed persistent stations, so that someone could give out the locations of their home quarters (if we're getting such things) and allow all the other nifty things that persistent zones easily enable, like online parties and events, etc.
I think just this one addition of persistent zones around Sol and Qo'Nos would add a perfect blend of persistence to the otherwise great instancing everywhere else in the game in the released areas. (I still personally hope that the Deep Space sectors are persistent way out on the fringes, but we'll see.)
Thoughts? Yay, Nay?
P.S. To the Devs, I wholeheartedly understand the endless pain involved in that little "just this one addition" phrase up there. My apologies if this is anywhere even remotely on the roadmap for STO, lol. This one eeety beeety leetle change...