As some of you noticed about six weeks ago, we put the forums and blogs into a new web framework. It was not problem-free when we launched it, but it didn't have too many major bugs — of course our goal is always zero, and I would have preferred things to go smoother myself. We did get other complaints, though. Some people didn't like the new version of the forums or blogs or found them difficult to use.

Those kinds of complaints are much more difficult to deal with in software development, because you can often be unsure whether people are reacting to something that is actually worse or something that is just different and which, therefore, requires a little time to get used to.

Some notes you get from users are obviously truly relevant, of course. For instance one user wished that the reply button in the forums would quote the comment being replied to. This is a common function in forums and one we will add as soon as we have another development window available. But other comments are more murky.

Now the indications are good that the new system is a step in the right direction. Last month the traffic to the blogs and forums more than doubled from where it had been before the change over.

And generally, we've had a lot of complaints stop. But while a lot of developers will tell you to wait and see if people are still complaining after two weeks with a redesign, I worry that people aren't quieting down because they are actually satisfied with the new system, but because they got tired of shouting.

So please, now that you've had some time to get used to it, are you seeing any other lingering problems? Or are you seeing things you wish you could do or you wish were easier? Or are you wishing for features you've seen elsewhere?

The way I look at it, we're here to serve and satisfy everyone in this community, so I want to put everything you care enough to take the time to tell me about at the top of our list. I know it doesn't seem that way sometimes, but that is actually why we introduced the new platform.

The new web framework is open source, which means we are in control of it. Often in the past, we've been forced to say 'no' to people's requests because we are limited by the way our proprietary systems work and we have no ability to change them. Open source solutions require more time to set up and manage and maintain, but they give us the ability to react to your needs and do so much more to accomodate them.

In many ways, this is your site, not ours.