[Kevin_Duke]

Hey there, gang! It's the dawn of a new era over here at MO:2! Glad to hear some positive comments already. The new format is going to take some getting used to, but it's going to be a much better system, both in the Forum and in the editorial pages.

So far, nearly everything seems to work. The main issue we see so far is that some of the large images in our photo galleries are not yet available. We're aware of this issue and are working to resolve it as soon as possible. These large-format photos will be available to all subscribers.

You probably can't imagine the amount of work that has gone on behind the scenes to make this this major leap forward, and there are a bunch of really talented and hard-working people involved to pull this off. We all sincerely hope you all enjoy what we're bringing you!

Please let us know what you think of this new stuff! It might be like parking a new bike in your garage: It seems a little strange and unfamiliar at first, but then it turns into your new best friend!

-KD, Ed-in-Chief

 

[Kevin_Duke]

One more thing. As you know, pretty much all MO's content is now accessible by non-subscribers, so this is your chance to share your love for MO with your cheap-*** buddies who never subscribed! Do us all a favor and send a link to all your friends so they can know about the greatest motorcycle site on the web. The more the merrier!

-KD

 

[Kevin_Duke]

For anyone who has trouble logging in or with their password or with the functionality of the site, please send us an email via our Contact Us page. We'll work as quick as we can to resolve these issues.

 

[Kevin_Duke]

Yo, airhawk. Your wish is now granted by the gods of MO! Editing your posts are now possible for Forum members. Hopefully this won't create any negative issues, so be good or we'll have to go back to the old way!

 

[Kevin_Duke]

Avatar max size is 50kb (50,000 bytes). Enjoy!

 

[Kevin_Duke]

jandj_davis said:

I really hope you plan on putting in a "new content" section or something. There is no way I could keep track of all the different sectors of this new layout unless there is a "new since last time you logged in" or "new since yesterday" or, hell, even dates on article titles.

Good point. The best way to see what's been recently posted is to go to the "Latest News Box."

Keep in mind, everyone, that the new design, while a big step forward, is still ripe for tweaking to make it even better.

As for the manufacturer list, I'm surprised you astute readers didn't notice they are listed in order of market share. Might it be easier to navigate if they are listed alphabetically? Perhaps, and that's something we'll evaluate as we move forward.

Finally, thanks to all of you who mention that you like what we're doing. Stay tuned, cuz it's gonna get even better!

 

[Kevin_Duke]

Glad to hear the many positive comments, gang! We've obviously done some things right. For those who aren't crazy about the new design, we're listening to your comments and evaluating them. A combination of a few weeks of acclimatization to the new look and some evolutionary tweaks to the site will hopefully result in many happy viewers.

Thanks again for tuning in. We really do care about you and want to create the best possible online experience for everyone.

 

[Kevin_Duke]

We're working on several issues, guys! Stay tuned.

 

[Kevin_Duke]

Keep going, gang. We're listening!

 

[Kevin_Duke]

zenjim said:

There's no SEARCH function in any section other than the Forums. If I wanted to lookup "Dainese" to see if you reviewed a jacket, for example, I'd be screwed. All that wonderful content and no way to access it...

We're working on that, guys! There are literally hundreds of tweaks we're making to MO 2.0 that are going to address many of the issues you are having.

As for the differentiation between levels of members in the Forum, it's like this:

Founding Member: Was at one point a MO subscriber.
Premium Founding Member: Was a current MO subscriber at the time of MO 2 launch.
Premium Member: Someone who subscribed post-MO 2 launch.

Past subscribers (Founding Members) receive a Founding Member tag/medallion, a large avatar, a signature image, a custom user title and a private storage space where they can store up to 500 messages.

Existing subscribers (whether Premium Founding Member or Premium Member) get the all the stuff above plus a bunch of other goodies:

- Unique MO Member Name
- Higher res pics and video
- Exclusive content features
- MO vendor and merchandise discounts
- MO newsletter with special offers
- Premium Member tag
- Premium Member forum access
- Soon, a motorcycle.com email address

The only difference in status between a Premium Founding Member and a Premium Member is that a non-Founding reader doesn't get the Founding Member forum tag.

As for the problems some of you are having with your forum status, I've passed these issues on so they can be resolved as soon as possible.

Sorry for this tardy response, but rest assured it's only because we've got our hands full while we address the major issues with the site. Hang in there! -Kevin

 

[Kevin_Duke]

Regarding the forum status of some of you, I've been advised to direct you to the Contact Us link at the bottom-right corner of every MO editorial page. That way each issue can be logged so we can better address your individual concerns. I've also pointed our ace forum tech head, Steve, in the direction of this thread.

We appreciate your understanding and patience during this transitional period.

 

[Kevin_Duke]

Patience, my web-weary friends! You will be seeing a new bike test every Wednesday for the rest of time, and it will rotate into the top spot on the home page. A couple of snafus meant that Pete's review of the K1200R Sport scheduled to go up on 6/27 has been delayed, but it should be up later today.

Also in the MO processor is a report from the Laconia bike rally and a look at the 2008 Suzuki lineup, both of which are still in the process of loading.

The concern about being aware of new stories is being addressed by the upcoming implementation of a Latest Articles component on the home page, which will make it much easier to keep track of what we've been posting.

Again, I beg of you to remain patient with us as we work out the kinks of MO:2. We're listening, we're revising and we're working our pitiful little tails off. I assure you that we'll soon become a smooth-running machine and a lot less buggy.

 

[Kevin_Duke]

If I spent my time writing you emails, I'd never have time to crank out all the content you're praising!

Seriously, I don't know if I received your inquiry - my inbox is a flurry of activity that's overwhelming at times. Care to share your question with the class?

Anyway, thanks for the kudos. Whether the MO:2 haters realize it or not, we're really working very hard to deliver good stuff in a timely manner. We're now being fairly successful in this regard, but we're still far from feeling totally satisfied with what we have on the site. Look for more improvements in the weeks and months ahead.

kd

 

[Kevin_Duke]

Yep, that was little ol' me on "Super Bikes." It was a fun day the show's producers set up especially for this show, so it's nothing the public can take part in. Please check out my blog for a little bit of a behind the scenes peek at how the day went: http://www.motorcycle.com/blogs/index.html

Thanks again for your support.

kd

 

[Kevin_Duke]

Rebel, to save your dial-up connection from overloading, I've copied and pasted the explanation about MO 2.0's new format for subscribers from earlier in this thread:

As for the differentiation between levels of members in the Forum, it's like this:

Founding Member: Was at one point a MO subscriber.
Premium Founding Member: Was a current MO subscriber at the time of MO 2 launch.
Premium Member: Someone who subscribed post-MO 2 launch.

Past subscribers (Founding Members) receive a Founding Member tag/medallion, a large avatar, a signature image, a custom user title and a private storage space where they can store up to 500 messages.

Existing subscribers (whether Premium Founding Member or Premium Member) get the all the stuff above plus a bunch of other goodies:

- Unique MO Member Name
- Higher res pics and video
- Exclusive content features
- MO vendor and merchandise discounts
- MO newsletter with special offers
- Premium Member tag
- Premium Member forum access
- Soon, a motorcycle.com email address

The only difference in status between a Premium Founding Member and a Premium Member is that a non-Founding reader doesn't get the Founding Member forum tag.
----------------------------------
Scroll down to the bottom of any page and you'll find a "Contact Us" link in the right-hand corner of the page. That's where you should go if you are thinking about asking for a refund. Hope this helps!

 

[Kevin_Duke]

Thanks Kevin very much for the help and also thanks to Jim who emailed me as well. You both gave me the info I needed. Great site.

Sammy

Glad to help, Sammy. Hope you stick around with your MO buddies!

 

[Kevin_Duke]

Kev- You may now operate what most consider a free site I still find it worth the measly funds to enjoy all the regular players jibes and jabs when we get wound up on a thread. It makes me feel "special", too ;-). There are some that want to whine over such a trivial thing- for those "Why did you join in the first place?"

It's readers like you that are the core of MO's existence - glad to have you with us!

 

[Kevin_Duke]

A bit more patience, everyone! We're working on getting clickable photos in our stories. A search function is another item near the top of our priority list.

The delay is because of the launches of some important new sites in the our powersports family: Snowmobile.com, ATV.com and Personal Watercraft.com. Once the latter is launched, the tech team will get back to making improvements to MO.

 

[Kevin_Duke]

BTW: Motorcycle.com got a mention in this month's American Motorcyclist (the official publication of the AMA). It just said the site was here since the beginning of time and that Mr. Duke was Editor. Not one word about Longride.

I couldn't have LR steal any of my spotlight, so I made sure AmMo left out LR!

But LR can't complain much. We're getting him an '09 Harley to ride to Sturgis for MO this year!

 

[Kevin_Duke]

nice, i love the new look, newbie here

Glad to have you on board!