At this point, the Gemini visual updates to Young Writers Society are, for the most part, complete. There are still one or two new features coming down the pipeline, but the major design changes are mostly finished. Nearly every aspect of the site has been improved, from the reading experience and emails to the implementation of a proper mobile theme.
That’s not to mention everything new the site now offers. We have four daily word games, a writing progress tracker, a “Turn Off the Lights” reading mode for literary works, and many other quality-of-life improvements that simply make YWS a better site. Make no mistake: YWS has never been as good as it is today.
But there is still more to come.
From August 1 through August 31, we will hold a sitewide vote on whether to change the name from Young Writers Society to WriterFeed. When YWS was created in 2004, most members were around 15, and it was promoted as a community for writers ages 13–21. Today, the average member is 24, and many YWSers are in their 30s or 40s.
Additionally, a growing number of countries are passing laws that restrict online access for people younger than 16. The proposed change to WriterFeed is intended to give the site a name that better represents the community it has become. More information about the vote will follow in the coming days.
On August 31, the current version of WriterFeedPad will be retired. A completely new version is expected to be ready by September 10. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to migrate content from the old version, so an export tool is now available through the Settings dashboard.
I wish I could keep the current version running without putting anyone’s work at risk, but that simply isn’t possible. It relies on an application that has not received an update since 2012 and has accumulated a number of bugs. Please export anything you want to keep before August 31.
Over the next few weeks, you’ll continue to see smaller improvements and finishing touches throughout the site. A new Events tab will also be added to the main navigation, showcasing current monthly events, writing challenges, and contests. A better Resources area might also be happening with a proper Writer's Market, articles, and other writing resources.
As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, just shout.
I am sure you are working on it but just wanted to give feedback from my side!