Before I get to that, however, I want to answer a few questions that have popped up about ZU's new layout.

Will ZU go down while the new layout is developed?

No. ZU will remain up - we have set up a test site where our master coder (Scott) will be able to set up the layout without interrupting the operations of ZU. Because of the way we're doing this layout, we cannot simply override the layout that already exists on the site and call it a day! We're actually moving to a whole new system in the back, so for those of us running the site, it's quite an overhaul. We'll actually be rebuilding ZU off-site and then shipping the new ZU over to this end. No downtime at all!

Does that mean that we're going to lose data, like our forum posts and registration?

Not at all. In fact, I said we've got more than just a layout coming with this: One of the things we're trying to do is make the forums and main site 100% compatible with one another. Right now we've got something like that going on, but the forums still don't really feel like they're a part of the main site. With the new layout, the forums will truly match the main site, and your account will truly work on both. It is INTEGRAL that the forums remain intact, as they are, for this to happen.

Okay, great. Are you sure you know what your doing? This is quite a lot of money, and it's not just your money.

Yes. Scott and I have been throwing ideas back and forth, as well as working on the new site software and moving current ZU stuff over, for months now. The entire relaunch of ZU has been entirely thought out from start to finish; now we just need to bring it to life. And, like I said, we're still hiding some of the cooler features of the site until it launches ;)... so you'll see what we have in store.

When are you hiring the designer? What will he be doing, exactly?

I've told him to take a break and come back sometime around February 20th while I raise the money to pay him. If we reach our goal by then, he will design all of ZU at once. If we haven't reached our goal, then he will design just the main site, but not the forums, and will design the forums once we've raised enough money. Obviously, ZU's relaunch will happen faster if we raise the money faster - if we don't reach the goal by February 20th, expect the relaunch to take a good month or two longer than expected!

Thanks! I'm totally convinced now that this will r0ck my s0cks. I'm going to donate to this cause right now!

Why, thank you Unnamed Supporter "X"!

Keep asking questions - I'll answer them with every follow up. But wait - Unnamed Supporter "X" will now receive a fancy banner when [insert gender here] donates! What is this fancy banner? For those of you who visit the forums, you know of the small banners that rest above the avatars. These are usually given to forum staff to mark their power position and identify them as moderators and administrators. They're also used to identify who's in what clan.

Now we've got one for those who donate. And it's shiny.

Everybody who donates at least a dollar, then posts either in the forum donation thread or in here identifying their username will receive one of these banners. We've already got a list of patrons, so those people will be getting a banner right away. Hopefully this will all equate to us reaching our goal faster!

That's all for now. So, if you're up to it, why not click the donate button and make ZU's dreams come true?

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