When the forums went down there was no word about it on the USMS main page. They are back and they are similarly not announced. Since you can't go to the forums to find why they are down when they are down, I request USMS post that on the homepage and also post when they are up and running.
Oh man, I hope they promote the new version. I really was excited to meet a few of you at the Senior Games last year, finally putting an actual face to the names behind the usernames. You all have been such a great source of knowledge and encouragement as I got back into the sport now almost 7 years ago.
The beauty of the USMS Forums is that you know when you're coming here, it is a targeted community of people who love swimming, are trying to get better at swimming and want to discuss swimming. Plus, the multi-way interaction amongst people creates real dialogue and real community. It's pretty damn unique in the swimming world. Even a site like SwimSwam, which I love, doesn't truly offer 'dialogue.' USMS has that already ... but I think you're undermarketing it and, hence, members are getting less value from USMS because you're not promoting it.
Patrick W. Brundage
(now living in Canada, but still a USMS member)
Absolutely!
If it weren't for this forum, I'd probably never have participated in a USMS meet, let alone a USMS national event. Additionally, it has led to some great friendships in the swimming world as well. Don't undersell/underestimate the value of the USMS forums!
There is a thread about difficulty using the new workout format. I don't want to sound too much like a curmudgeon, but the website changes related to the various forums has generally not been in the direction of user friendly. And I am still waiting for access to the forums to be at the top of the toolbar.
In the absence of ready access to pools for many of us,not to mention no meets, staying in touch on the forums is one of the few ways to keep USMS alive in our hearts
