Dear Group Moderators and Members,

Thank you for your commitment to Yahoo and for helping us define the power= of digital communities=2E Eighteen years ago, we combined the functionalit= y of a site called eGroups=2Ecom with a precursor community platform called= Yahoo Clubs to launch Yahoo Groups=2E Since then, you and millions of othe= rs have helped prove our hypothesis, by creating and joining more than 10 M= illion groups=2E

A lot has changed about the Internet since 2001, including the ways most p= eople now use Yahoo Groups=2E Today, most Yahoo Groups activity happens in = your email inbox, not on the bulletin boards where Yahoo Groups started in = the pre-smartphone age=2E Increasingly, people want content and connections= coming directly to them, and this is why we continue to invest in Yahoo Ma= il -- including the recent launch of a new Yahoo Mail app that is currently the highest-rated email app in the App Store and Google= Play=2E

So, as our users=E2=80=99 habits have evolved, we have begun the process o= f evolving our approach to help active Yahoo Groups thrive and migrate to o= ur email platform=2E To help you plan for these changes, below is the sched= ule of how this transition will happen=2E

Beginning October 28, 2019:

Users will be able to jo= in a Yahoo Group only through an invite from the Group Moderator or by subm= itting a request to join a Group, which requires approval by the Group Mode= rator=2E
Since we are moving Grou= p communication from posting on message boards to email distribution, uploa= ding and hosting of new content will also be disabled on the Yahoo Groups w= ebsite=2E

All Groups will be made = private and any content that was previously uploaded via the website will b= e removed=2E We believe privacy is critical and made this decision to bette= r align with our overall principles=2E

If you would like to kee= p any of the content you=E2=80=99ve posted or stored in the past within you= r Yahoo Group, please download it by December 14 by accessing this link=2E

As these dates get closer, we will send follow-up reminders=2E More inform= ation about the upcoming changes can be found here=2E

While this evolution of Yahoo Groups is inspired by how we see the platfor= m being used today, we know change can be difficult=2E Here are a few impor= tant facts as we make this transition:

1=2E Yahoo Groups is not going away - We know that our us= ers are deeply passionate about connecting around shared interests, and we = are evolving Groups to better align with how you use it today=2E

2=2E New groups can still be formed - Users can continue = to connect with others around their common bonds and interests=2E From anim= al rescues to sporting and activity groups, civic organizations to local PT= As, members of our Yahoo Groups will remain connected and able to share the= ir activities and interests=2E All of the content that you have shared prev= iously on the website, can continue to be shared via email=2E

We know that Yahoo Groups is an important online extension of your real-li= fe group of friends, interests and communities, and we are committed to sup= porting communities that rely on Yahoo Groups=2E Thanks for coming along wi= th us this far=2E We look forward to seeing where the technology -- and you= -- take us in the decades to come=2E

Sincerely,
The Groups Team

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