Hey everyone! There are some exciting changes coming your way on RT, and before confusion has the chance to sneak in, we thought we’d make you aware of what’s going on.
First of all, once we are prepared to begin the data migration, user journals will be disabled and all commenting capabilities across the site will be turned off, so that we can begin the process of upgrading everything. Then, starting the next day, you may notice that there is a nifty new COMMUNITY (BETA) link in the top navigation bar. This effectively replaces the links for both THE VINE and FORUMS that sat up there before, but not to worry! User journals and the forums still exist, but we thought it would be more intuitive to place them both under a larger COMMUNITY umbrella because, well, they’re both integral parts of the RT community. Simply navigate to your Community hub, and you’ll see links for your blog and the forums.
The Forums will be just as you remember them, but better. You’ll still be able to navigate to all your favorite threads and subforums, and avatars, signatures, and the like are still there. We’ve just gone ahead and upgraded our ancient version of the software to be current with the latest updates, so that posting and moderating is easier and more intuitive.
The user journals, however, will be a bit different (and, we think, improved); we’ve overhauled the system, which was outdated and clunky to navigate and edit, to make it easier for you connect with your friends and see what they’ve been up to on RT. Reviews and ratings are better organized, and we’ve implemented a system that will allow you to see how often your opinions match up with Critics, Top Critics, User Ratings, and Friends. Customization of page color schemes, however, will not be available, but you’ll still be able to create lists, join groups, and exchange private messages with your contacts very easily.
We’re very excited about these changes, but we do want to stress that this is the BETA stage for these features. This means that, while we think we’ve done a pretty thorough job testing it, we know we’re not perfect, and as these things go, there are always a few things that manage to slip past even the keenest RT eyes. When the update goes live on RT, at the top of the Community page you’ll see a banner asking for your feedback, so if you happen to spot anything you think might be incorrect, or if you suspect something in your profile is broken, be sure to click on the banner and let us know. Thanks for being loyal RTers, and we look forward to hearing what you think about the new Community features!
