How do I know?
I've dipped a toe (or ten) in the beta pool now and then since about mid-December.
At first, I was (I'll be blunt here) not happy with the visuals, but you know, it's not really how it looks, it's how it works that is important - and the new functions are going to be frickin great, once everyone gets over their fear of the different.
So, for those who are quivering in their slippers as they quietly munch what may be their final orange cheetos eaten while in Orange Territory... I say, "hold up, y'all...
what has you so hot and bothered?"
Yeah, it looks sort of pale and washed out, a bit wimpy when compared to our bright and vivid DK3 home, but think of it like housepaint.
It startles you at first, when your best friend paints their house and doesn't tell you before you come by - and they've turned a cape cod 2-story manse the color of spring robin's egg blue with dark maroon trim into a nightmarish blotch of fuschia with black trim!
It makes you leary of going in, the vibe is all gone and it seems like somewhere you've never been before - and now you're not sure you want to go in, it's just that jarring.
But once you get the nerve up and knock on the door, and your buddy opens it up, you realize that you were all twitterpated (and that word, my friends, is NOT from the 21st century) over some paint.
D'oh.
The friend, his family, the furniture, the congenial feeling of "home away from home" - all of that is still there, once you walk through the front door.
So, I encourage all of you to take a stroll on the dark liter side, and mosey on over to http://www.dailykosbeta.com and check out the New House.
Cause it really is the old House with new paint.
Yeah, they put in a freaking elevator REC LIST (after some cajoling) and some cool new In-house communications (which, once you can DELETE a message, will be your favorite thing on the new version).
But it's still our favorite clubhouse in all the world.
So stop having conniption fits, go try out the new digs. Wander 'aboot and stop being so worried and uptight, will ya? It's totally bumming me out, and I've got plenty of personal stress already, I don't need to put up with an entire community having a meltdown over some damned paint!
Just remember:
The little heart icons = following someone/something
They are darker when you've activated them
If you forget? MOUSEOVER and hover - you'll see one of two messages:
- "follow this author"
- "You are following this author - click to Unfollow"
The difference between the two should be self-evident.
Every thing else? One step at a time Grasshopper, because a journey of a 1000 miles begins with just one step.
Na, I'm just playing with you. There really isn't much more. You follow (just think FUNNEL CONTENT TO ME every time you see this word on DK4, and I promise everything will be much clearer to you) Diarists and Groups on DK4.
On DK3 we "subscribed"
You still "Hotlist" individual diaries with a White Plus on Orange Circle.
There is still a RECENT DIARIES on the Front Page (FP), it's just slightly anti-troll scanned by the Trusted User population before hitting the FP.
PLUS, now you have the opportunity to make your very own, superspecial, tuned just for you (by you) RECENT DIARIES list. It's called your STREAM. You find it on your UID page, on the horizontal menu bar, labeled (of all things) Stream. Go figure.
PLUS you have the neato In-house messaging system. Which I am really excited about - just about as excited as I am sick to my stomach over it, because you still can't delete the little fuckers, but when they fix that little glitch, you'll LOVE it. I promise.
So, that's about all.
Go, explore.
Do it while you still have DK3 to run home to when you get all freaked out at first.
Because one week from tomorrow you won't have DK3 to kick around anymore, she'll be just a fond memory.
So.... gentlemen (and ladies).... start your engines (thunder rumbles in the background), the race Event of the Season is about to begin!