V2 is Going Away on September 4th
I know this is very sad news for many of you in this group. Some of you strongly prefer V2, and I respect that. Some of you feel confused and frustrated by V3, and I'm sorry. Unfortunately, we now need to move on.
V2 is based on an aging technology which is no longer sustainable, and is holding us back from also improving and fixing things on V3. There is a deeper technical reason that I don't fully understand, but it has to do with MySQL versions, PHP versions, etc. But that doesn't really matter to you, because you love V2. You've been with it for a long, long time. And I'm grateful. I don't take it lightly that many of you are attached to V2. I understand it. I also feel upset sometimes when things change. It's happened to me with my phone operating system and some sites I visit. It can be very frustrating.
And I won't say we have handled this the best possible way, though we tried our best. I've learned a lot from this experience - how to change more incrementally, how to message about it, etc. Running a company with millions of passionate customers is tough! So many people to try and please. And with that, inevitably some disappointment. Which is something I just don't handle well. So, I'm sorry. I truly am.
I have been delaying this as much as possible because I'm trying to find ways to help people transition - to have discourse, to hear feedback, etc. But we are now at a point where fewer than 2 thousand people are using V2 while more than 2 million are using V3. And with the looming technical challenges, we can't keep V2 going. The database isn't compatible. The code isn't compatible. The tech team is now forcing this.
Anyway, again, I know that doesn't matter that much to you. You just want a comfortable place to play chess. I'm hoping you will be able to make the transition to V3. If you absolutely cannot make the switch, then all I can say is thank you for being a part of Chess.com while you were here. The door is always open. For those of you who are unhappy but willing to accept help, I (or someone from our support team) will personally talk with any of you on video chat or whatever it takes if you sincerely need some help finding your way around. Just message me and we will set up a time.
I have mentioned this before, but if you want Chess.com to look/feel as much like V2 as possible, try the link www.chess.com/classic - but be aware that clicking on this link will change your background, your nav, and your /home configuration to be different (more like V2).
Thank you to all of you who have been patient, who have given feedback, and who have taken the time to help us bring as much of V2 over to V3 as we could. Also - and I mean this - thanks even to all of you who have been angry or said some unkind things! Your passion has been extremely motivating to us to work hard to please even the most ardent V2 supporters. And while I know we haven't won you all over, we've done our best and appreciate you participating in the discussion.
Sincerely,
Erik & the Chess.com Team
(NOTE: If you are on a page where you are confused, or have a suggestion, PLEASE use the "Help" icon and then submit your question or suggestion like this and someone will reach out ASAP.)
