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Changes to the software, like the removal of CW checkboxes for questions, and having the Enter key post comments, catch many Stack Exchange users off guard, because we do not watch meta.stackoverlow closely.

Would it be possible for announcements to be made on each of the Stack Exchange sites in advance of such changes, so that we may all get a chance to weigh in?

I imagine that this could be a banner announcement with link on each main site, or simply a "Question" posted on each of the meta sites directing to the relevant discussion on meta.stackoverflow.

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    This was marked [status-deferred] over here. It may be more important with the much wider network we have now, but the stance so far has been not to produce giant announcements on all sites.
    – Grace Note StaffMod
    Oct 21, 2010 at 18:10
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    I think that my question is a little different, because I am asking for advanced warning to be more widely spread, whereas that question seems to be more about explaining the changes that are already determined. Oct 21, 2010 at 18:15
  • I wasn't marking this a duplicate, since moreso that question was also from back when we only had the Trilogy. It was more to indicate what the previous stance has been.
    – Grace Note StaffMod
    Oct 21, 2010 at 18:19
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    @Grace: Thank you, that link is helpful. I just wanted to clarify, because I initially thought it might be a duplicate. Oct 21, 2010 at 18:21
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    @Jonas: you seem to be assuming that advanced warning is possible, whereas in fact a lot of changes (even ones with large impact) are spur of the moment things with no advanced planning at all. (Yes, this is a problem, IMHO.)
    – Ether
    Oct 21, 2010 at 20:00
  • @Ether: I think it is fair to assume that it is possible, even if it hasn't always been done that way. But yes, I am probably asking for more than I realized. Oct 23, 2010 at 3:38

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No - it creates a poor user experience to force people who don't care about the innards of the beast to view them every day when they come to interact with it.

You are not only asking that we be notified of updates, but that changes to the system are discussed in advance of the update so the community can weigh in on changes prior to implementation.

The system already exists for your to do that, here on Meta. Those people that care about features of the sites (existing, proposed, and new) visit here and either suggest new features or changes, participate in conversations regarding new features and bugs, and complain about (or suggest alterations) to changes implemented without ever being announced or discussed on here.

It works quite well, as-is. The community has rejected a few feature changes (none come to mind, but I know Jeff was convinced that he was wrong at least a few times and reverted or modified a feature), suggested most of the feature changes that have taken placed, and discussed thousands of other changes that haven't been, or won't be, implemented.

In previous discussion on announcements, the general consensus has been that the vast majority of daily users (as in, 95% or more) don't care. Adding an alert would not only pose as a distraction, but it would actually create a problem where one didn't exist.

Those that are interested in the day to day changes and overall operation of the various sites are free to participate here.

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  • @Sid, I guess we will have to wait for Pollyana to come forward.
    – jjnguy
    Oct 21, 2010 at 18:33
  • You guys are hilarious. :-D
    – Pollyanna
    Oct 21, 2010 at 19:22
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    "...force people...to view them every day...", "...pose as a distraction...", "...create a problem where one didn't exist...": In hindsight, maybe the first part of the last sentence of my post was misguided, but you seem to have ignored the second part. The individual meta sites already exist for people with interest beyond just using the main sites, and additional posts or notices there will not cause problems. Many of us don't want to have to be regulars on yet another website to keep up with those occasional threads relevant to software changes on the sites we use. Oct 23, 2010 at 5:39
  • @Jonas - Well, good luck convincing them to pre-announce pending changes in any form. In my mind that's simply another level of bureaucracy that will ultimately slow development down, and give people a greater impression of democracy where none truly exists, causing further friction.
    – Pollyanna
    Oct 23, 2010 at 16:39

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