Dear Forum Member: If you are reading this message, you are a participant in the ZDNet or ZDTV message boards (a.k.a. ZDNet Forums or Community). I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about some changes that will affect you on December 8. We are moving from our current forum software, called Podium, to version 1.0 of new forum software created by Deja News. On Dec. 8, when you follow a link or bookmark to one of our forums, you will be directed to the new software automatically. You don't have to download or install anything -- our forums remain entirely Web-based -- but the apearance and functions of the forums will be different. All your messages posted in Podium are being brought over, so your conversations won't miss a beat. We have been testing the Deja News software in three of our current forums for several months, and we have also created a test forum so you can try out the software and give us your feedback. We know that any change is disruptive; you will have to re-learn some forum functions and get used to a new interface. We apologize in advance for the hassle. We felt the switch to the Deja News software was the only way to improve the performance and reliability of the forums, plus the new software has a better search engine and great possibilities for integrating Usenet newsgroups into our offerings. If you have not yet had a chance to try out the new software, you can do so at any one or all of the forums listed below: Test Forum http://chkpt.zdnet.com/chkpt/zdn11202/f5.dejanews.com/frames/test.html Help Channel General Discussion http://chkpt.zdnet.com/chkpt/zdn11202/f5.dejanews.com/frames/generaldiscussi... Microsoft Office http://chkpt.zdnet.com/chkpt/zdn11202/f5.dejanews.com/frames/msoffice.html Gadget Gab http://chkpt.zdnet.com/chkpt/zdn11202/f5.dejanews.com/frames/gadget.html Please give us your feedback about the new software in the Test Forum. We are using your comments to make the software work better, so we appreciate as much of participation as possible. In addition to the new software, we will be merging several forums. Over the months, ZDNet and ZDTV have created a number of overlapping message boards, and some forums have lost their appeal to users. As part of the switch to Deja News, we'll be integrating forums on similar topics. As a result, expect most forums to be busier after Dec. 8. Thank you for your time and effort. We are looking forward to seeing you in the new forums, and we are glad to have you as a part of the ZDNet Community. We will send you just a few more e-mails like this one to keep you up-to-date on the switch, but we promise not to continue spamming you after the transition is complete. Regards, Wendy Frankwich ZDNet and ZDTV Community http://chkpt.zdnet.com/chkpt/zdn11202/www.zdnet.com http://chkpt.zdnet.com/chkpt/zdn11202/www.zdtv.com _______________________________________________________________________ To be removed from this list, simply reply to this message with "unsubscribe" as your subject.