TAT's getting new digs

[Kirkus]

We've seen a steady decline in new members over the past year or so. It used to be that we'd pick up a few new members during SPs. Members that would become a permanent part of our community. That no longer happens as much. In fact, we're seeing long-time members leaving us.

In order to try and buck that trend and to help make our community more relevant in the ever-changing social environment of the internet, "TAT: The Forum" is going to expand into something more on the order of "TAT: A Part of The Social Network". This will take place in January of 2013.

But this is more than just a plan to continue expanding our membership. It's also a way for our 7+ year old community to have some fun new stuff. To have the best that's available.

Over the past several months the staff and I have researched, demo'd, and tested new community software. We've settled on our new digs and I'm excited to announce this move.

The new software will give our members the option to interact with popular sites like Facebook and Twitter. In addition, the ability to share photos, videos, music, and blogs will be expanded.

We'll start rolling out announcements during the French Open Suicide Pool and continue marketing the change throughout the remainder of the year.

If you have questions concerning this change, post them here and I'll do my very best to answer them.

::

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
If you can spend some of your daily TAT-time on the new community site and would like to volunteer to use it, test it, and become part of shaping it's features, please let me know. You can post here or send me a PM. This testing will be lengthy. Tentatively the new site will be made available to everyone following the US Open, and will run side-by-side with our current forum, with the official relaunch of our community in January. So that leaves us just short of 4 months to put it through it's paces.

[JTContinental]

Looking forward to it. I'm happy to do some testing if you need me.

[Charlie02123]

Question: how will this affect tennis content?

[Kirkus]

Question: how will this affect tennis content?

You mean as far as articles, coverage, editorials, etc? This won't affect that at all. Both ProTennisNews.net and TennisPhotographs.com will remain as they've always been.

This change only applies to the forum.

[nelslus]

I'm always available to test Kirkus AND this new forum.

[Kirkus]

If you're unable to post about a problem on the test site, please post here. (But post there if able.)

[hurricanejeanne]

I have loads of questions, but I guess they can be asked with a simple: how is the forum going to change or will it pretty much remain as it has been, just with more additions?

[Kirkus]

I have loads of questions, but I guess they can be asked with a simple: how is the forum going to change or will it pretty much remain as it has been, just with more additions?

This forum will be shut down in January of 2013. It will still be available for reference, but won't accept any more theads/posts/activity.

[Jessie181]

I think she means the new forum...?
The new forum will be completely different. If you volunteer to test it out, you can see the difference. I got confused at first lol. But it's pretty easy to get used to after a bit, I think.

If that's not what you meant, then ignore this, I guess

[Kirkus]

I think she means the new forum...?
The new forum will be completely different. If you volunteer to test it out, you can see the difference. I got confused at first lol. But it's pretty easy to get used to after a bit, I think.

If that's not what you meant, then ignore this, I guess

Oh. I think you're probably right, Jessie. My bad.

It's built a lot like Facebook, but with a forum and some other stuff.

[winston]

Please tell me you don't have to be on Facebook to use the new forum.

[luvs10s]

No winston you don't need a facebook account to use the new site.

[Kirkus]

Please tell me you don't have to be on Facebook to use the new forum.

Definitely not. It's all self-contained just like it is here. It's just FB-like.

[hurricanejeanne]

Oh. I think you're probably right, Jessie. My bad.

It's built a lot like Facebook, but with a forum and some other stuff.

Will the new forum have essentially the same things this one does? Like chat, private messeges and other things that this forum has that we're used to?

[ponchi101]

Set up the link, tell us where to go. I can help some with the testing.
But... I will hate to see the TAT forum go. Not joking: it is one place where I get a lot of serious info. From our verifiably well versed members.