We started out this year with plans for a complete site redesign - not only for CIM, but for other user groups that are affiliated with UCA International Users Group (UCAIug). We are smack in the middle of that change-over right now.
If I were a newcomer I would find it hard to connect the dots. I might be wondering if there is a master plan somewhere.
Maybe one way to illustrate this is by analogy. Recently the Portland airport spent $15M to create a concourse connector, which you can see at the middle of
this diagram. The problem was that if travelers went through the security gate to the wrong concourse, they couldn't get to another concourse without going through security again. The connector solved that.
What we have done is create a security perimeter and site account management system for all UCA-affiliated organizations. This makes it possible for you to move instantly from a CIM working group to an IEC TC57 working group - with no security interruption, with a very consistent user experience, and in a way where your personal profile can represent you in any of those communities.
We acknowledge there is a lot of change going on right now. Many of the new sites going up (see "Other UCA Sites" in the top nav menu) look downright messy. That's right, there's a federation of sites under construction.
In one way or another we are all working toward the smart interoperable electric utility grids we need for this century. Our master plan is to build the infrastructure enabling UCA affiliates to collaborate toward that end.
We think the method behind our madness will get us there. I hope you feel that way too. And by the way, sorry for the dust.