Apparently, the latest test was announced in a response to a comment on twitter (seems it will start on Wednesday, for those of you who haven't gotten word yet). Several times before, the opening date/time was announced wayyyyyyyyyyy down in one of the many "are we there yet?" threads.
Can you please make a habit of putting relevant-to-everyone announcements at the top level? An actual post on twitter. A new "blue for devs" thread on the forums. Something we don't have to dig for. Some of us had to go back to real life this fall (and some of us were already there), so we don't have the time or inclination to obsessively check every thread.