Michelle,
At this point, I think we will never get back what we had on this site.....it's been over a month now we have battled through......it's definately getting a teeny, weeny bit better....so I hear you!! And I'm with you!!!!..DS has become a skeleton of its former self....BUT, WE, the people are still here AND that's what counts!! There are fewer of us but let's keep on keeping on for the sake of others, who are going through the
Initial devastation of this grief journey........Hugs......Sandra

I'm wondering what happened to our background descriptions of ourselves. Only a partial amt. of what I had originally posted remains.

Michelle I hear you and agree. I want to go back to the old format too. But I am afraid we will never have it the way it was. I try to muddle through as I remember well how in the early days I needed to hear from those that had been on this journey for a while. I truly want to give back and help the newbies but it's such a struggle now. I am going to keep trying but my patience doesn't last long.

Michele,
As much as I hate to say this, I think that we are stuck with this new site. I agree that the old one was much better; this one has disconnected everyone, and I have to wonder how the "newbies" find any type of comfort since we are all struggling with the new look and upgrade. This so reminds me of upgrades we have had at work that are supposed to be so much better that are the complete opposite. Hanging in there because I am hoping things get better.
Roxanne

Yes Michele.....it does suck! It really seems to me that whom ever "upgraded" (I use that term very loosely) this site really never invested the time to familiarize themselves with the purpose of the forums or the people who need and use them. It all seems very amateurish and unprofessional. I think the powers that be skimped on paying for people who knew how to properly set up a website.
Frankly, I'm not even sure why they thought that it needed upgraded! Maybe change a few colors around or something but wow...to eliminate so much that was so important to all of us plus let alone easy to navigate....I just don't get it. Did anyone really even ever complain about the site to begin with? (Except for those awful ads...)
And then they boast that they have been working on this for a year???!!!
Wow!!!! Someone sure got ripped off!!!!
But.....here we are and I honestly don't think it will ever go back to the way it was. My vote is with you though...bring back the old format! It helped so many people. I fear that this site will never live up to the glory of being such a lifesaver and Godsend to so many of us that have passed through that login page.
We still need to be here for each other and the new people though. They deserve the help that we received. It's really hard to get to know someone now here but at least we can give advice through our experience of traveling on this journey. We need to share ourselves and let them know that life can and does go on and we will help hold their hand until they can walk on their own.
Take care my friend and hang in there! Let's not give up the fight to restore this place to our home once again!
Big hugs!
Darcie

Why was it changed anyway???? I never got the reason. And if it isn't effective then why keep it this way? Some of us are using personal e-mail to message. But what about those who are new at this? Certainly it isn't a place to stay but to progress from, but it isn't a good place to get support for those in need because of the difficulty in moving around in it. Maybe they should go back if possible.

Peace, Tim

Yes, where are all our friends? And all our posts, stories and history of what we are going through. That is what is not good about this. But we can help the new people who come here for comfort, understanding, in this grief journey.
Hugs, Nanette

Well, they promised us that we were going to just love it, greatest thing since white bread...but...you all know "but"...since this abomination got started, we have been shouting our dissatisfaction from the mountaintops...we have TOLD them that THIS IS NOT RECREATION...THIS IS A LIFELINE FOR PEOPLE IN CRISIS!!! Do you hear me, TeamDS? CRISIS!!! With a capital-C!
What exactly does that mean? LISTEN-THE-HELL-UP TeamDS, I'M TALKING TO YOU!!
What I mean by "Crisis", is that it may take just a word from someone who cares, to be the difference between someone giving up and eating a bullet, or finding a new ray of hope to renew their will to survive.
Tell me I'm fulla shit TeamDS...TELL ME DAMMIT! But you won't...because you want to continue to delude yourself to believe that you did the right thing, and everything's just honkey-fuckin-dorey...are you listening now? Because if you are, that has got to be the first time since you first shoved this mess down our throats...and we're supposed to be cordial and nice about it, when it is obvious that you flat don't give a shit? When you see how pissed off and frustrated we are in the wake of your destruction, do you all snicker among yourself like a bunch of little grade school girls? I apologize...I should be nicer to grade school girls.
All of you at TeamDS need to go get jobs cleaning out the bathrooms in a truckstop, where you won't be in contact with the general public...where the ones you WILL be in contact with can solve whatever major malfunction you happen to have.
Can-you-hear-me-now? No, I am not Verizon, I am eighty8 and I'm talking to you! I promise you this...If I am wrong about all this, have the balls to come forward and prove it...I'm all ears, just like Ross Perot.
Ah, that's what's wrong...you at TeamDS are a bunch of techie youngsters who don't have a clue what I'm talking about.
Here's a clue...if you really want to make a liar out of me and make me eat my words...TURN THE DESKTOP FORMAT BACK TO WHAT IT USED TO BE!!!
Then pass me the salt!

I have emailed DS a few times and the last time they didn't bother to respond. I told them that "someone needs to wake up and smell the coffee" and that DS has been GUTTED! The Daily Strength Members Community Support Group is where everybody seems to be discussing all the problems and DS has responded a few times with what they are working on. Maybe we all need to bombard the DS Members Community Support Group!!

I absolutely can't get anything out of this. I don't even know how to remove my profile. I agree with Michelle 100 percent. I am so lucky that I found this support group because it would not and is not for me now. How to I remove myself from this group. pj1952

Michele and all, I agree wholeheartedly! I think I can say for certain not one of the people who revamped this site is a widow or widower. They have no idea what they've done.....and they don't care.
Sad for all of us,
Linda

Very sad indeed They need to give us an easy to follow tutorial. And how unprofessional to reformat a site with so many problems right off the bat. It does not say much for the talent of those whose great idea this was. Testing a site change should have taken many months to see how well it worked before totally launching it. Their tech personnel are sad indeed

While I may have not been as consistant after walking this journey for over 3 years, I was still making an effort to participate and share as I knew how much it help me on my journey . Now I made the effort tonight and feel bad I don't participate more but to be honest to me the site has lost it's core supporting powers and it's a hit or miss whether the conversation started can continue. It has become uninterrupted support at a time when we need to be supported anytime we reach out.

I am leaving. I would urge all those who agree to leave DS until they restore the old format - i.e. until they get our message that this new format SUCKS

barbarame: Let me begin by saying this. I fully respect your decision (and many others), but don't want this great refuge to disappear.

It is a huge loss for not having you here. I remembered all those beautiful poems so beautifully made my days. Yes I do not like the new format either, but I remembered the days I was desperate to find a place for comfort and understanding, and I'm thinking of the new people not getting what they needed to hear.

A thought kept coming back in the past few weeks as we went through this mess: if we don't take care of ourselves, who is going to take care of us?