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Just had a mail from the webhost - apparently they are moving the site(s) between servers tonight. It shouldn't affect availability of the sites - as they'll be mirrored on the new host while still being accessible on the old host - but it does affect whether or not people will be able to upload.
The short version is that while the domain name servers (dns) are propagating throughout the internet, people visiting the sites may be directed to the new site or they may be directed to the old site. After they've propagated (up to 24 hours), people will be directed only to the new site. dns lookup is how browsers know to translate www.csi-forensics.com or www.wraithbait.com to a set of four numbers, which is the physical location of the server the site is based. Those numbers will change with the new server. This change will be made on the master list of domain names, so that all browsers will know that instead of going to say 123.12.12.36 they have to go to 123.12.12.37 when someone types in the url.
How fast browsers realise that and direct to the new site rather than revisiting the old depends on the ISP and the browser being used. ISPs often cache this information, which generally means that it might take up to 24 hours for them to be aware of the change. In the meantime, you can expect lots of visitors to the old site.
Because the new site is just a copy of the old, that won't matter for content already there. So you will still be able to read the stories. However, if you are still being directed by your ISP to the old site, because the ISP has not updated their dns information, and you upload or edit your stories, you'll actually be posting to the site on the old server and those changes will not appear on the new site. The old site will eventually disappear from the internet, and with it your new stories or edits.
I've already updated the front page of the site with this information, asking people not to post new or edit existing stories until Thursday (by which time the dns should have propagated).
The short version is that while the domain name servers (dns) are propagating throughout the internet, people visiting the sites may be directed to the new site or they may be directed to the old site. After they've propagated (up to 24 hours), people will be directed only to the new site. dns lookup is how browsers know to translate www.csi-forensics.com or www.wraithbait.com to a set of four numbers, which is the physical location of the server the site is based. Those numbers will change with the new server. This change will be made on the master list of domain names, so that all browsers will know that instead of going to say 123.12.12.36 they have to go to 123.12.12.37 when someone types in the url.
How fast browsers realise that and direct to the new site rather than revisiting the old depends on the ISP and the browser being used. ISPs often cache this information, which generally means that it might take up to 24 hours for them to be aware of the change. In the meantime, you can expect lots of visitors to the old site.
Because the new site is just a copy of the old, that won't matter for content already there. So you will still be able to read the stories. However, if you are still being directed by your ISP to the old site, because the ISP has not updated their dns information, and you upload or edit your stories, you'll actually be posting to the site on the old server and those changes will not appear on the new site. The old site will eventually disappear from the internet, and with it your new stories or edits.
I've already updated the front page of the site with this information, asking people not to post new or edit existing stories until Thursday (by which time the dns should have propagated).