Why are we changing forums?

We’re upgrading to a faster and more modern platform that’s easier to use. This change is part of our mission to improve our technical infrastructure this year, as outlined in our strategic goals. The new forums will introduce several long-awaited features and some exciting new ones:

• Better Navigation: Users can now easily and quickly find categories they’re interested in using the navigation menu on the left.

• Group Chats: Communicate easily with other observers using our messaging features for quick queries, without having to create a topic!

• Enhanced Subscriptions: Now, you can subscribe to entire categories (not just threads!). For example, you can click the bell icon on the subcategory page for Observing Campaigns to be updated about new campaigns.

• Improved Moderation: The new forum system has a robust permissioning system, which will allow us to keep our community safer.

• Attachment Uploads: Due to better moderation capabilities, we are now allowing trusted users to upload attachments to the forums.

• Additional Features: The new platform includes features such as post voting and badges, further enhancing user engagement.

What happens to the old forums?

Content

The old forums will remain available indefinitely for reading. Currently active discussions will be migrated to the new platform according to the following schedule:

Date	Action
August 22nd, 2024	New forums are rolled out to our community.
August 29th, 2024	Existing forums closed for new topics. Discussions without any activity in the past month will be locked.
September 5th, 2024	Discussions without any activity in the past week will be locked.
September 12th, 2024	Forums will be made read-only, with active discussions moved to the new forums. The existing forums will redirect to forums.aavso.org.

CHOICE Courses

We keep data for CHOICE courses available to participants for one year after the completion date. Those who have taken a course between September 2023 and 2024 will be emailed their content. Starting late September, CHOICE courses will be held on the new forums.

Subscriptions

Unfortunately, we will not be able to migrate subscriptions over, so you will need to re-create them on the new platform.

How do I use the new forums?

For an in-depth guide on how to use the forums, refer to this article (also available in Spanish). Please note that some features, such as uploading attachments, are not available until users have meaningfully engaged with the platform.

How can I submit feedback or requests?

We value your input! You can reach us directly via email with any feedback or requests regarding the new forum platform.