This news section is a little "extra-extra-read-all-about-it" for you guys and gals who are wondering what's going on behind the giant doors and tight security of the 8 Days a Week global command center.

8 Days a Week has recently met a couple of milestones. First, more than a thousand events have been listed over the past 15 months. That's a little more than an average of two events per day ... not bad if you're always looking for a bit of inspiration or something to do.

Second, 8 Days a Week is picking up more visitors. Traffic is starting to grow, and more people are seeming to take notice. Especially notable is the inclusion of 8 Days a Week on HOW Magazine's October list of "Top 10 Sites for Designers." What an honor! Word has also spread due to links from sites like Humantific & Leibowitz Communications' blog, Facebook and twitter (especially a tweet by the popular and charming local designer, blogger and event host Tina Roth Eisenberg - aka SwissMiss - @swissmiss), as well as increased visibility on search engines.

So, thank you all for visiting, spreading the word and supporting this site. As always, if you have any thoughts, suggestions or needs for assistance adding/editing an event, please feel free to contact me at mike(at)8daysaweek.org or on twitter @8daw.

You'll notice many of the events on 8 Days a Week are tagged as being sponsored by AIGA/NY, TDC, AIA, ADC, etc. I tried to cover most of the major design organizations that are active in NYC. If you are an administrator from one of these groups, 8DaysaWeek is now set up to allow you to add/edit/update/delete/etc. any of the posts tagged with your group name. To activate this feature for your group, just send an email to mike(at)8daysaweek.org. I'll need to verify you can speak on behalf of your group; then, I’ll send a login your way.

Now, you can follow 8 Days a Week updates and news on Twitter at http://twitter.com/8daw.

People have been asking where many of the events mentioned at 8 Days a Week are found. Well, a listing of some of the sites from which events are pulled is at http://delicious.com/8DaysaWeek.org.

More than 500 events have been listed on 8 Days a Week since the site was launched last September. That is an average of 2.5 events per day - pretty impressive. Who would have guessed that our industry is hosting that many events, that often? That's why I love this city.

And the site is getting better. In the future, you can expect even more event listings, as well as better ways and features to find them and keep track of them. As always, if you have thoughts, ideas or interest in helping out, send a note to mike(at)8daysaweek.org.

Some people have asked to see dates in the future or past. While the primary use of the site is to show just the current and upcoming weeks' events, I recognize some users will want to see earlier and later dates. So, to see any specific date, just hack the URL with the following formatting:

Simply go to www.8daysaweek.org/events/day/. Then, type in the year (ex: 2008) / the month (ex: 08) / the date (ex: 06).

So, to look at events on October 23, 2008, type “www.8daysaweek.org/events/day/2008/10/23.” This works for events both in the future and the past, though please recognize I try not to track events more than three months out, since it is difficult to keep up with changes.

Welcome to 8 Days a Week! It's up and working, which, trust me, is a big step. You'll probably notice a few little bugs and glitches here and there, but I'm seeing the fruition of many evenings and weekends behind the computer screen. I'm working on those bugs, by the way. ... This is going to be a (very) soft roll out - sort of like a "beta" version of a site, only I hate the term beta and don't want to stick a big "beta" sign all over the top of the page. Anyway, consider it beta in disguise.

Over the next few months, look for some updates to the features and functions of the site. I already have a list of improvements that seems to be growing daily. These changes will be implemented as time and budget allow. I'll keep you updated via this news page on what to expect and will be soliciting your opinions on what to prioritize.

So, thanks for the support. Tell a friend and check back often!

8 Days a Week is the premier event calendar for the New York City design community and all those who work, think and dream design 8 Days a Week.