Fwiw, I think it's like a kick in the gut to not have the CE forum and notes here on the site anymore ... we've all invested alot of time and info.
I went to this other site and it says :
To learn more including how to opt in, read the thread entitled "Cutting Edge: Start Here"
However that thread is not available without signing up apparently.
We had a very limited number of regular users in the CE area here, and with the home for CE moving based on 'DirecTV's decision', we felt it was the right time to "get onboard".
In addition, Scott is working very hard to build a relationship with DirecTV, something we've struggled with for years at Satguys. The history of the CE program between DBSTalk and Satguys was a point of contention in the past.
All things considered, this was the right time to make a change.
As for the new site, it requires registration to even see the basic CE info to mask content from search engines, something DirecTV requested (and was in place at both DBSTalk and Satguys). After you register, you need to click a link to "join the CE group", which enables access to all the forums. After that it pretty much mirrors the setup that DBStalk had before, some information forums, an issue/notes forum, and an off-topic forum.
The design of the new choice makes it look like this is exclusively for the CE program, which is likely what DirecTV wanted in this change.