This is a brief article I hope generates answers to more questions than I even realize I have.  What is happening with Newsvine?

I've read that Newsvine is testing the New Beta version, and will eventually be implementing it to REPLACE what we have now.  (When is that implementation scheduled to happen, does anyone know?)

Some of the proposed changes I've read about are that:  

The New Newsvine will NOT have Private Groups or Friends Lists, or Categories, and that it will not allow users to be members of more that 15 Groups, and that Groups are being renamed as Nations.  

Is all this true?

If it is, how will people deal with that?  

It seems like the New Beta Newsvine is going toward simplification by scaling-down options rather than adding to them.  That would seem to make some sense to help the Newsvine Monitors better manage the enterprise, but it also seems to be severely limiting to the users.

What else is going on in the New Beta Newsvine that I have not mentioned here?

I've read that some users have already left Newsvine for other websites that are similar.  

Where have they gone?  Where are they going?  Are you staying, or going?  Where?

That's it.  That's all I have to say and ask for now.  (Told you this was going to be brief.)  

Now you can tell me what I don't know, because obviously I don't have the full story here.

Let me just say this before I turn it over to you.  I kind of like Newsvine the way it is.  

Why does it have to change?  (Maybe that's a question only the folks at Newsvine can answer.  Hopefully they will.)

Looking forward to YOUR comments!

Thanks!

icon picture credit: http://www.reencoded.com/2009/07/25/free-social-media-icon-set/