Propeller 2.0 Is Out

Long awaited upgrade to Propeller, a social news site, was released today. Propeller incorporated a new design, new technology powering the site, and new features.

This new design has a deeper integration with AOL News and AOL.com (where Propeller posts have begun popping up in the top box). The new design is likely to be noticed first. The logo has changed which shows it’s community and stories as moons orbiting the Propeller planet. Also they redesign the propeller engine to improve the performance.

Here are some other changes you will notice:

• New Ranking Scale: Instead of seeing an absolute count of votes next to a story, you will now see a Popularity Rating from 1-10. The scale is based on a new set of ranking algorithms, which take into account many more aspects of participation when determining popularity.
• Prop It!: "Vote It" is changed to "Prop It" as they find that "Vote" seemed too serious, especially with the elections coming up.
• Groups: Users now have the ability to join groups and form groups of their own. Groups can be open to the public, or membership can be limited. Once you have joined a group, you can share stories and start conversations on topics of interest.
• Help!: There is a new Help Central area, where it consolidates Frequently Asked Questions and explain a bit more about Propeller.
• New and Improved Search: Not only has searching for stories returned, but new features allow for searching members and groups. Looking for that long-lost Propeller friend, or for some esoteric group? Now you can find them!
• Featured Groups and Members: To reward the movers and shakers in the community, members and groups will be featured on the homepage. This is an improvement on the old Top Propeller Contributors, since the featured member will have his or her avatar and biographical info displayed front and center!
• This Just In: The Propeller Tracker has a new name, This Just In.
• No More On Shift Icons for Editors and Scouts
• Category Consolidation: Categories are now Arts & Entertainment, Business & Finance, Family, Humor, News, Science & Technology, Sports and Style.