[2026 update] Scheduled maintenance and what will be unavailable

Posting this under the heading it deserves: Scheduled maintenance and what will be unavailable Everything below is what sits behind that.

Process question about how this site works.

I have read the guidelines and the trust-level page and I still have a question about the mechanism rather than the rule. Specifically, I would like to understand the reasoning behind it, because I suspect the reasoning is better than the rule sounds.

Not a complaint. If the answer is "because of a failure mode you have not seen yet", I would like to hear about the failure mode.

Two things before anyone answers the substance.

First, the context in the first post is clear and specific. Second, the question is framed so that an answer can actually address it. Both are the norm here and both matter more than they sound.

Implementation timeline: announcements include when a change takes effect. Marking the date helps you know whether the change is already in effect.

Feedback to announcements: if you have feedback on an announced change (not a question, but your position) post it in the Meta category rather than here.

Scheduled maintenance: if the site is going offline for maintenance, advance notice will be posted here with the duration and scope.

Staff announcements, policy changes, and scheduled maintenance. Read-only except for questions clarifying what was announced.

I disagree with the reply above, and I think the disagreement is substantive rather than terminological.

The distinction being drawn does not survive when you look at the published data for this specific question. I would be glad to be shown wrong on this, because the version I am arguing against is more convenient.

Coming back to post #6, because the follow-up matters more than the original answer.

Staff-only posts: some announcements are visible only to staff (concerning internal operations). Members see public announcements.

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When announcements are made: major policy changes, technical changes affecting site function, planned downtime, and changes to guidelines all get announced here.

Questions welcomed: if an announcement is unclear, asking for clarification is welcome. Staff will explain their reasoning.

This follows post #9 rather than contradicting it.

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For anyone arriving from a search: the marked solution above is the direct answer, and the replies underneath it add the caveats that make it safe to use.