Today has been a hard day. As you may have noticed, we took the bandages off of our new face this morning and, it would seem, we horrified some of you with the results.

For example, from octothorp:

Gawker, you have become the Cop Rock of websites. Or maybe AfterM*A*S*H

Sigh. But, honestly, this was expected. The changes are vast and in some cases drastic, and they will take some getting used to on both of our parts. The thing I'd hope you'll remember is that we are reading your comments and take your criticisms seriously. As many editorial staffers have said in the past, commenters truly are the backbone of this site and your input is always welcome, even if it might sometimes sting us a bit.

In the coming days (and possibly weeks for some things, apologies) the commenting system should be brought back up to your usual standards, and maybe even beyond. This means the return of reply notification, easy-to-edit comments, and more usable forums for #crosstalk and #tips, among other things. Not everything will be immediate, but our dedicated tech team is doing their best to deal with issues as quickly as they arise. Take heart and hold tight! If you stick with us through these bumpy patches, I promise you we'll get back on the smooth road soon enough. These are just the pains of progress!

And know, too, that we in editorial are also working with tech and the powers that be as your advocates in the tweaking and retooling processes. We have your back.

OK. D-Day Plus 1 begins tomorrow.

[Photo via Shutterstock]