Democratic Underground will be updated to DU4 next week

[EarlG]

The update is currently planned to take place on Wednesday October 18.

FIRST THINGS TO KNOW

• You will not lose anything in the transition to DU4. Your posts, Journal, Bookmarks, Inbox, Subscriptions, Ignore List, Star Membership, etc. etc. etc. will be untouched.


• If you are logged into DU when the update begins, you should remain logged in afterwards. However, we still recommend that you know know your password just in case you need to log in again.


• This update contains no changes to the site rules or to the way the Jury system works.

WHAT TO EXPECT IF THINGS GO PERFECTLY...

On Wednesday October 18 at around 1PM ET, we will take Democratic Underground offline and update the software. This will take at least a couple of hours. If all goes well, once the update is complete we will re-open the site for all visitors.


...AND WHAT TO EXPECT IF THINGS DON'T GO PERFECTLY

It's safe to say that there are a number of things that could go wrong during the update and during the post-update phase. Possible consequences could include, but are not limited to: extended downtime beyond a couple of hours; re-opening the site and then having to close it again; a staggered re-opening (in this situation we would allow entry to Star Members first, then registered members, then unregistered visitors); downgrading the site back to DU3.

While the update is in progress, visiting any DU page will take you to an error page which contains information about the status of the update -- if there are issues, we will communicate them here.


BUT EVEN IF THINGS DO GO PERFECTLY...

Please remember that this has been a huge project and despite the lengthy development time and beta testing, there are still going to be glitches and errors which we will need to fix. We appreciate your patience while we get through the post-update phase. If you see something that looks broken, it might not be because we made some weird design choice that you don't like -- it might be because something is actually broken. Just ask if we can fix it -- there's a good chance we can.

That's all for now... if you've got any questions about the DU4 update, please feel free to ask!

[hibbing]

1. Thanks for all you do for us n/t

[malaise]

2. Thank you EarlG

[KS Toronado]

3. Looking forward to no trolls for a couple hours.

[Iggo]

10. A couple of hours.

Nice.

[ms liberty]

4. K&R n/t

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. I'm so glad to hear this great news! Thank you, my dear EarlG. ♥ nt

[Iggo]

6. Thanks for the heads-up!

[redqueen]

7. Exciting

This takes me back

[SleeplessinSoCal]

8. Parting is such sweet sorrow.. Yet....

...out with the old, in with the new.

[Pas-de-Calais]

9. Sorry, but a mid week transfer?

Weekends are better for these types of things

Speaking from 38 years IT experience

[IbogaProject]

11. For a forum like this their convince is first priority

That way they have a couple of weekdays on both sides. This isn't some mission critical medical or financial infrastructure, however important it is to us individually. If this was a bar I'd want any painting or refinishing away from the end of the week. It's a similar situation with this.

Just open a bunch of tabs before the downtime and be patient that you won't be able to rec or comment during the downtime. I browse that way normally, open a bunch of tabs then work through them.

[Elessar Zappa]

19. Earl G has been doing this site for 21 years.

I’m sure he knows what he’s doing.

[TomSlick]

51. Exactly.

[4lbs]

23. Maybe, but maybe over the last several months, they could have determined that the

particular date and time was when DU was least visited.

Weekends are normally when wholesale updates are done, especially at night, off-hours, because that is how most businesses worked then.

However, an online site, that could have people visiting at any time and day, weekends could actually be one of the periods when DU is visited most.

[Pinback]

34. Agreed,

although I have a paltry 27 years of IT experience. Planning a deployment window depends entirely on the type of business or activity. I trust EarlG and Elad to have done their homework.

[AwakeAtLast]

12. Can't wait!

All of your hard work has not gone unnoticed! This will be a fabulous upgrade!

[WheelWalker]

13. Fantastic. Fired up and ready to go!

[wysimdnwyg]

14. A reminder I always share with my clients....

Software is not easy. There are more variables than even the best developers can possibly imagine, let alone account for. We do our best to place safety rails around our products, but testing in any kind of alpha or beta setting will never be able to fully replicate a production environment. Things will happen. Bugs will be found. And the bigger the changes, the more issues will be found after (or during) deployment. Please be patient, report bugs or issues, and understand that we’re all working to give you the best experience possible.

Thanks EarlG and Elad for not just keeping the lights on, but working to make DU an ever-evolving oasis of humanity and truth in a world that so often seems dominated by the angry, hateful, and gullible.

[keopeli]

15. Congratulations, no matter what happens! It's a huge project!

[awesomerwb1]

16. Not a fan of the new DU

Will I be able to still use the current DU?

[relayerbob]

30. I have the same question, will the current DU be available?

[EarlG]

35. The current DU will no longer be available once DU4 is up and running

However, since you are a Star Member, there is an option in Account Settings on DU4 which will "re-skin" the site to make it look as close as possible to the way it does now, if that's the look you prefer.

[relayerbob]

41. ok, thanks

[Pacifist Patriot]

71. I'm slow to change and not a fan of it either, but...

I assume like everything else, I'll eventually get used to it. Here's to adaptability, even if we do it kicking and screaming.

[bdamomma]

17. So EarlG

People like me haven't yet used the DU4 new system well I guess I will have to now. You will have support for those of us who may be less tech savvy. But I welcome the challenge.

[Elessar Zappa]

20. I tried it and the user difference didn't seem that different from the current DU.

What are you specifically having a problem with?

[bdamomma]

21. I'll be okay

when I start using it. I'm just being paranoid!!! Thanks for your post.

[highplainsdem]

24. There's a "Skinner mode" setting you'll find that will make DU4 look more

like DU3.

And you'll find settings under "My Stuff" - one of two large buttons on every page. The other large button is "Navigate."

See this old thread, including the replies, for some screen shots:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/101312895

[bdamomma]

25. Thanks highplainsdem

I will bookmark this thread.

[mountain grammy]

46. It's easy peasy..

trust me, you're gonna love it.. I'm not at all tech savvy and had no problem.. Have fun..

[bdamomma]

48. Thanks mountain grammy

I'll do fine.

[Joinfortmill]

18. Cant' tell you how much I love DU.

[mikeysnot]

22. Good luck!

I know migrations can be a pain in the ass.

[rurallib]

26. In my working days I was involved in many upgrades

All went perfectly

[PatrickforB]

27. Acknowledged and thank you! I like the new DU4. Warm regards.

[yorkster]

28. Help -- Guess I better find my password.

Hope I can....

But - thx for all your diligence.

[orangecrush]

29. ...

[TlalocW]

31. I'm already tired of DU4

When is DU5 being released?

Just kidding. Thanks for all you do.

[EarlG]

36. Development on DU5 starts next Thursday

[sab390]

32. I have what I think is an important question

I almost always access DU on my phone. Does this only effect the web on computers? I know I still access the site with a browser but it is a mobile edition l see.

[EarlG]

37. The new design was created for all different kinds of devices

It has been better optimized for mobile devices and should look better on your phone than the current DU does (with the caveat, again, that some users may experience unanticipated issues after launch, but if that's the case we will work to resolve them as quickly as possible).

[crickets]

33. Thank you for all that you do for DU, EarlG! 🥰

[onethatcares]

38. thank you for taking the time

to inform us all.

[MiHale]

39. Thank you, Earl...it's gonna be great.nt

[jalan48]

40. Thanks for all your work making this happen.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

42. DU4 beta cleared up my bunions.

A slight cosmetic problem I noticed was that some 'signature' lines were scrunched up (technical term of art), making them harder to read or clipping the ends off some.

[Dem2theMax]

43. Thank you for always making sure that DU is the best place on the internet!

[ffr]

44. Pre-thanking all of you for the upgrade

It will only be a few hours of news blackout. We'll survive.

Good luck!

[mountain grammy]

45. Thank you EarlG

as an old person I was sure it'd be hard.. but no! totally user friendly. So happy you're switching..

[Fla Dem]

47. Congratulations and Thank You EarlG. A lot of hard work finally coming to fruition.

[2naSalit]

49. Thank you!

Thanks for all your hard work and for providing this site for all of us!!

[Stinky The Clown]

50. Looking forward to it!

psssssst, EarlG . . . . . . how about a name change window after all is up and running

[vercetti2021]

52. Not a fan of the new layout

But whatever I guess no choice in the matter

[EarlG]

54. I don't know if you tried

“Skinner Mode” during the beta test, but it makes DU4 look as close as possible to the current layout.

[peppertree]

66. Thanks for that info, Earl. I for one am partial to the current layout, and am happy to hear that.

Thanks for making that choice available - and above all, for everything you do.

[TomSlick]

53. Good luck, EarlG (and all of us).

One of my Rules to Live By will be tested: "To err is human, to really screw things up requires a computer."

[Beartracks]

55. Thanks for the heads up, EarlG! Fingers crossed!

=========

[liberal N proud]

56. You guys are awesome!

[kacekwl]

57. Thank You

for a place that keeps me informed and sane, sort of.

[Takket]

58. buckle up........

[raising2moredems]

59. I have full faith..

that you've tested. And tested more thoroughly than my employer did during a recent "upgrade improvement".

[Aussie105]

60. Could be interesting!

Looking forward to the big reveal. Hoping a smooth transition awaits.

[Generic Other]

61. Keeping the site running smoothly is so important

Glad to hear you are making sure this place is a safe zone for us all.

I still recall that night in 2016 when it began to sink in exactly what we could expect from the Putin Puppet Party.

[mahina]

62. Good luck and thank you so much for all of this work

There must be a reason for it so Mahalo for that! It sounds like an epic endeavor. One question I was wanting to ask so thanks for offering to hear them: I noticed that on do you for notifications flashed visually. Will that be remaining? I really hope not.

I think democratic underground really makes a difference. Thank you!

Aloha

[EarlG]

65. The flashing notifications are optional

If you look in Account Settings on DU4, you can find six different notification styles to choose from. Some are animated but others are not. Hopefully you'll find one that works for you.

[Mike Niendorff]

63. This is transparency at its best

Thank you for the straight-up information.

This is how a true professional prepares for an upgrade.

Nicely done.


MDN

[CaptainTruth]

64. Great! Thanks for all you do!!!

[pwb]

67. K

.

[duhneece]

68. You and DU are my loves, my sanity

I trust that whatever you’re doing is a good thing.

[William769]

69. K&R.

[NNadir]

70. Personally I can't wait. I loved working in the beta versions.

Exponents and subscripts are back!

[quaint]

72. Congratulations and thanks!

[NNadir]

73. Possible bug: It appears that Greek letters, which one could import from Word in DU3...

...may not work.

This is how the letter "mu" which shows up correctly in the editor, looks when one posts: μ

It shows up as a question mark.

[NNadir]

75. Test

[μ]

[mopinko]

74. hey eg- it's not working right for me

i think it’s giving me the phone version on my ipad. i get 1 column, no side bars at all.
is there a setting for this?

[NNadir]

76. A comment as a suggestion.

While it is true that "Science" is a culture, I would argue that it is more of an issue.

[kyburbonkid]

77. GUI needs less white space more data.

Hi guys. I'm a lurker. I look at DU daily to see what the hot button issues are. Very seldom do I login and comment but the update does need an objective comment or two so here I am. First, on a small handheld phone, you are wasting too much white space for prompts, reply buttons, and junk. The old format was more info dense that fits the phone format better. 2nd, the old phone format page was far more information dense. It was easy to spot stories and discussions of interest. The new format just shows ONE! DU is NOW HARD TO READ. Sorry, but the pretty GUI needs more consideration about usability on a phone and info density presented to users.

For example, DU > Trending discussions has huge fonts for number of recs. What's up with that? Everything else is white space mostly. Definitely I like your older GUI.