Friends,



I don't feel like we talk enough. You call and I never answer. That's about to change.



Simply put, you are Subeta's biggest asset. We could have the fanciest rewrite, the most brilliant minds in programming, the best server setup, but without you there wouldn't be any reason. It has always been in our best interest to keep you as informed as possible, and this is something we have been neglecting to do lately. Keith Answers! was a step in the right direction, but we can do better. We’re going to try and fix that right now.



Things have been pretty exciting internally, recently! Over the last few days, we have shifted our focus, and changed the staff around. We've also moved to an entirely new server setup, which should cause fewer problems and give you a more enjoyable experience with Subeta, overall. Instead of working to keep the site alive, we can work on things that are important. Fixing bugs, adding new features, and finishing the rewrite.



I'm sure you'll notice that I mentioned the rewrite last in that sentence. A lot of you believe that the rewrite is some sort of myth, or that it is never going to happen. It will happen, and it is still being worked on by the entire programming team. However, instead of telling you that our current problems will be fixed in the rewrite, we are shifting our focus to the site that you use everyday, to make it more playable now, not later. Taking on something as large as the rewrite has taught me, personally, that you can't redo four years of hard work in a few months. Subeta is just as real as any of us, and it should be treated that way. I've found out that I can't ignore the real site, just to work on the rewrite, and I can't focus only on the main site and put the rewrite on the back burner. There has to be balance, and from this point forward there will be. Expect more announcements on the rewrite in general, as well as more serious testing in the future.



We understand you want a time line. You want a date that the rewrite will be finished. I've done this before, and ended up being months off. The rewrite is a work in progress, that you will be able to constantly check on. From this point onward, I'll be giving regular status updates on the rewrite, which should give you a clear picture of its progress and make you feel much better about it. Hopefully, we can remove this feeling that it's just a myth!



I also mentioned Subeta being on new servers! You can find more information about our setup in the near future. Based on our experiences over the last four years, we have worked hard to come up with a perfect solution that works now, and also allows us to continue growing and pushing forward later.



Of course, we aren't going to be pushing forward only in the programming department. The user administration department is also going to be getting a huge update soon, which will be something for every user. The department is starting to feel the weight of four years of creating rules, and changing rules. We’ve added a rule whenever something has gone wrong, but you can't really find them, or know what that rule is, until you're warned for it. It’s unfair to both you as users, and to our administration team that has to hunt down the rules that need to be enforced as well! That's why in the near future we will be pruning out certain rules that we feel should be determined by you, the community. Who are we to decide if you are offended by something?



This leads into the new reputation system. A few of our veterans might remember that this is something we've played with in the past. I think this new system will really be revolutionary for any site of our magnitude. This reputation system will be deeply rooted in the forums, and will essentially let you wear the moderator pants. You won't be able to see your reputation 'score', or that of any other users. You will, however, have the option to give a good or bad reputation rating to any forum, thread, or post. Depending on how much and what kind of reputation you've been given by your peers, you could be the one who locks the board, and hides it from other users. Do you find a user’s particular post offensive? Give it negative reputation.



This puts the power of moderation in your hands, and leaves our user administrators free to deal with the meatier account support issues. We don't need to lock or delete topics that don't offend anyone, or make them upset. I personally feel like it's a huge step for any site to take, and I'm glad that we're the ones taking it.



Now, I want to invite you to help us improve our site. We have added the July 2008 Bug Fix category to the Suggestion Center. We want you to submit one (one per person, please!) bug that affects your everyday usage of Subeta. Something that annoys you more than anything else. Before you run off to make this bug report, please check that category and see if it's already been reported. The more time we spend sorting through them, the less time we have to actually fix them!



You may think that you're powerless or that you have very little impact on Subeta, but in reality you are all the driving force behind Subeta. If we make a change that does not agree with the whole community, we are usually quick to change it back, or make it better. You're creative when we aren't, and you're quick to think of how to improve something. That's why I'd like to point you to the suggestion center, which is ALWAYS open for your ideas. If you think of something that you think would be perfect for the (shh!) hidden island, don't hesitate to suggest it. Your fellow users appreciate this kind of creativity, as it gives them more to do as well.



Before we go, I'd like to remind you that Subeta is 100% user supported. Today we added a small unobtrusive text ad to the top of the forums. This small advertisement will help support the site in the near future, and we understand your concern about ads. I hate them as much (or more) as the next person, and am proud that Subeta is usually able to be supported without advertisements. We also don't sell your information to third parties. The cash shop paves the way for new programmers, new hardware, payment for the User Admins who help you from day to day, and help with the planning of future projects. We rely on your purchases, and at this time of growth and expansion it is going to be more important than ever. I know that we've had a lot of downtime lately, and you're probably hesitant to put down any amount of money; however I'm hoping that everyone realizes the impact that these changes are going to have. We feel confident, based on the changes we have already made, that you will not be disappointed. You can still help in other ways, too! Link to Subeta from your blog, or facebook/myspace. Bringing in new users is just as important as raising funds.



I'm sure that some of you are thinking you'd prefer this to be a youtube segment, with us talking face to face (so to speak). However, I feel that a medium that 100% of the users can see, and intake is the best for this type of message. However, I'm inviting you to go here where you can ask questions related to this announcement, and a special Keith answers segment will be dedicated to them.



Thank you for all of your support and understanding. Over the past four years I have grown a lot, and so has Subeta and its staff. I hope that we can spend many more years growing together.

• Keith Kurson and The Subeta Team