When will we lose the beta site model?

Question

What I have noticed, is that beta and non-beta sites have different setups. For example, on non-beta sites, you access first post and late answer queues at 2000 reputation. On beta sites, it tends to be much lower - like 350 rep points to access them. Writing is no longer beta - why do we still have the beta setup? When will we get things like custom site designs, increased privilege levels, etc? I know there are many similar questions to this, but I think we should get another update on how things are going.

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Related to beta graduations:

• Let's break up with "Graduation" and remove a bunch of "Beta" labels
• Writing.SE clamours for graduation
• How long until graduated sites get a new site design and increased privileges threshold?

Related to site design:

• If we could have a custom design, what elements are most important?
• Will we get fancy site design like Math.SE and English.SE?

Related to privilege thresholds:

• What is the status of the increase in repuation thresholds for privileges?
• Should we increase the reputation thresholds for privileges?

(feel free to add to these lists)

Answer 1

Writing is no longer beta - why do we still have the beta setup?

When Writing was "graduated" from Beta to "Full Site" status it was as part of a mass graduation that SE did to sites that were 7+ years old back in 2019, this represented a shift in how the graduation system worked - and how you end up with sites like us that are graduated but retain certain aspects that were previously "beta" features such as the lower reputation thresholds. Writing isn't alone in this!

When will we get things like custom site designs, increased privilege levels, etc?

Site design.. honestly I don't know. But I doubt it will be any time soon.

As for the increased rep thresholds, I've not heard of any plans from SE to implement them and in my opinion we don't want those right now anyway.

The leap in the required rep is substantial and I feel that in may ways the site is still rebuilding it's community after the loss of many of the experienced members back in late '19. Some of the relatively recent members (such as yourself) who have been active in the community and been engaging in the whole community moderation aspect would have your recently earned privileges snatched away again - and that would be quite harsh in my view and counter productive to the building of the community.