FAQs

Tell us what you think.

We love getting feedback about your Gather experience. In fact, some great ideas for site enhancement have come from Gather members. If you have a suggestion, send it to Gather Member Support. We're listening.

Need more help?

Visit help.gather.com to submit a question to our daily help post and we'll respond on the site. You can also contact Gather Member Support. If you're a group owner or moderator, also check out groups.gather.com.

Getting Started

Getting to know Gather
A good way to become familiar with the variety of content on Gather is by simply exploring! Use the tabs across the top of the page to visit the People, Groups, and Explore. You'll see all the most recent activity on Gather, organized by timeframe and popularity, as well as staff picks from our Editorial Team.

Once you find something interesting, click a tag or group, or explore a member's other content. There's something new behind every click. Another option is to use the search tools located at the top of any page.

Create your Gather profile
After joining, visit your profile; it's all about you! What are your interests and affiliations? What makes you unique? The more you share, the easier it will be for others to find and connect with you. Make sure to update your profile often with your most current info and interests.

Create your personal Gather icon
Having an icon is a great idea. Icons personalize your Gather experience and help other members recognize you. Your icon can be a picture of yourself or anything you choose. Whatever photo you select, it will represent you on the site -- on your profile page, next to any comments you post, and with all content you share.

To create your icon, simply upload a new photo. To set a photo you previously uploaded as your icon, check the "Make this photo my personal icon on Gather." box on the "edit photo" page. Save it, and you're all set.

Invite people and make new friends
Gather is a great place for you and your friends to get together and share the important moments of your lives. You can even discover new things about each other! Start by inviting the people you know to join you on Gather.

You may already know lots of people on Gather, or maybe you're looking to make some new friends. The more people you connect with, the larger your network becomes -- and the entire Gather community benefits from the sharing of your thoughts and comments. Search for people to locate folks from your school, work, or community or to find people who share your interests. Then visit their profile pages to add them as your friend on Gather.

Join Gather Groups
Want to connect in a whole new way? Groups are a great way to do it. They're centralized spaces for members to share posts, photos, and videos with a common theme or for a common purpose. A group can be anything -- a fan club, a writers' workshop, or just a space to share photos with your family. Search for groups to find some that interest you. If you have your own special interest, you can also create a group on Gather.

Visit your My Gather page each day
Your My Gather page is where you can keep up with all the recent activity by your friends and groups, plus the stuff you're into -- and plenty more. This page contains your "dashboard," where you can link to the Invite, Share, and Mail features. You'll see alerts for friend requests, new group invitations, private messages, and accepted invitations, as well as your Gather Points earnings. You can also directly access your own content.

Tell all your friends about your profile
Your profile is like having your own website to showcase your interests and talent, and it's located at username.gather.com. This space details everything Gather-related about you -- and it's where others will find all your Gather contributions: Posts, Photos, Videos, Comments, People, Groups, profile information, plus a history of your recent activity. Keep it up-to-date and your friends will flock to your profile to see what's up in your world.

Express yourself
There are plenty of ways to express yourself on Gather. Don't be shy. Start off by simply commenting on something that inspired you. See a member you like? Ping that person's profile. Sharing photos is a fun way to be creative and show people your view of the world. You can even dive right in by sharing your perspective or poetry in a post. Even video is easy on Gather. So if you've always wanted to be a star, show us what you've got.

Registration

Joining is free
Yes. Gather membership is absolutely free.

Email address confirmation
Confirming your email address is how we make sure you're a real person and prevent spam and other undesirable behavior on Gather. Be sure to take this step right away; your registration isn't complete until you confirm. After 7 days, if you don't confirm your email address, your registration will expire and your username will be released.

Be assured: we respect your privacy. Gather never sells or rents member email addresses. And YOU decide what email communications you wish to receive (if any) on your email preferences page.

Email confirmation problems
Don't worry; we'll get you set up. One possible problem is the link you received in your email may be disabled. Typically this happens if the link associated with your invitation is incomplete. You can copy the visible link from your email and paste the link URL into your internet browser's address bar. Be sure to copy the entire link and make sure it isn't broken into two or more lines.

1. Use your cursor to highlight the entire link.
2. Copy the link.
3. Place your cursor into your internet browser's address bar.
4. Paste the link into the address bar.
5. Press Enter on your keyboard.

If you've tried the options above and are still having trouble, you can still register for Gather. Registration takes about a minute. If you continue to have trouble, please use our Contact Member Support form and provide a detailed description of what happened when you tried the steps above.

Gather emails in my spam folder
If the email is in your spam folder, select the message and mark it as "not spam" or "not junk." Make sure memberinfo@gatherinc.com is not blocked by your spam prevention settings and doesn't appear on your blocked senders list. Add memberinfo@gatherinc.com to your address book and/or safe email list, plus gather-updates@gather.com for Gather news updates and promotions@gather.com for contest and events information. To ensure you'll continue to receive emails from Gather:

• Outlook Users: From the Actions menu, select Junk E-mail and "Add Sender to Safe Senders List"
• Hotmail, Yahoo and AOL Users: Click the "Add Address" or "Save Address" button or link beside the "From" address at the top of this message
• Users of Other Email Systems: Please follow the software or service-provider's instructions for adding memberinfo@gather.com to your "safe senders list" or "whitelist."

My username
Your username can be any combination of up to 16 numbers or lowercase letters. Don't use capitals, spaces, symbols, or underscores. Your username is different from your display name, which is how your name will appear on Gather.

Your Gather username is the only personal info you are unable to update. If you need to change your username, please get in touch with us using our Contact Member Support form. Send us your existing username and three alternatives for a new username (in case one and two are already in use by other Gather members). We'll notify you when the change has been made.

Account deletion

We'd hate to see you go. But if you'd like to cancel your membership, please get in touch with us using our Contact Member Support form. Be sure to include both your username and your primary email address on Gather. Once your account is closed, all of your content, Gather Points, and preferences will be deleted from Gather. An alternative is to visit your "email preferences" page and turn off all your email notification preferences. This will make your account dormant in case you wish to try Gather again in the future.

Member Sign-In

Sign-in problems
Here are some tips for signing in. Try these first:

1. Remember that your username must be all lowercase letters. Capitals and special symbols are not permitted.
2. Make sure you have cookies enabled in the internet browser you're using.
3. Experiment with lowering your browser's security settings.
4. Try using a different internet browser.

If none of that works, click the "Forgot your sign-in?" link on the sign-in page. Select the information (either username or password) that you wish to receive. Enter your email address in the field. Be sure to enter the email address associated with your Gather account. If you're requesting your username, we'll display that on-screen. If you've forgotten your password, we'll email you with a link you can use to change your password.

Forgot username
Visit the "forgot your sign-in" page, check the box next to "username" and type your email into the box provided. We'll display your username. Be sure to enter the email address associated with your Gather account.

Forgot password
No problem; it happens to the best of us. Visit the "forgot your sign-in" page, check the box next to "password," and type your email into the box provided. We'll email you a link to change your password. Be sure to enter the email address associated with your Gather account.

My Gather

About My Gather
Your My Gather page helps you keep track of the latest that's happening with you, your friends, your groups, and all the other stuff you care about. The Content for Me section lists all the posts, photos, and videos shared by your friends, your groups, and about your interests. Another section contains all the comments by your friends, and a third one lists your friends' social activities and updates.

Content for Me
Content for Me, located on your My Gather page, shows you all of the latest posts, photos, and videos shared by your friends. You can also change the view to show the latest content shared to your groups ("by groups") or about your interests ("by interests"). To customize who you see in the "by friends" view, just click "settings." Select the "selected friends" radio button to add and remove the friends you want to keep up with. You can also customize the groups you include. When viewing the "by groups" list, click the "settings" link. Select the "selected groups" radio button to add and remove the groups whose activities you want to keep up with. To find content about your interests, select "by interests." Into photography? Big fan of ballet? Just type those keywords into the interests field to get up-to-the-minute posts, photos, and videos about the very stuff you love.

Friend Updates
Friend Updates will help you keep up-to-date on the latest activities of your Gather friends. You'll see the new friends they make, their profile updates, pings they leave and receive, and the groups they join, create, and add group comments to. To customize who you see in Friend Updates, just click "settings." Select the "selected friends" radio button to add and remove the friends you want to keep up with.

Comments by My Friends
Comments by My Friends lists the comments your friends have contributed to conversations all over Gather. Exploring comments is a great way to learn about what your friends are reading, as well as find great conversations where you can voice your point of view. To customize who you see in the Comments by My Friends section, just click "settings." Select the "selected friends" radio button to add and remove the friends you want to keep up with

My Activities
My Activities, located on your profile page, shows your visitors all the public stuff you've been up to. They'll see the posts, photos, and videos you share, as well as what you comment on, the new friends you make, your profile updates, pings you leave and receive, and groups you join and create.

My posts, photos, and videos
Every post, photo or photo album, and video you share lives on your My Gather page. There, you'll also find sections for your profile, comments, friends, and groups. Just think of your My Gather page as your whole Gather world -- right at your fingertips.

Dashboard alerts
The dashboard on your My Gather page displays alerts when you get friend requests or group invitations from other members, and when you have unread messages in your Gather mailbox. If you're a group owner or moderator, an alert will display when you have pending group moderation tasks. Your "guarded viewing" is also displayed here so you can see if your account is currently set to allow content with mature settings.

Share, Invite, and Mail
The dashboard of your My Gather page includes links that give you access to the Share, Invite, and Mail features. The Share feature lets you add posts, photos, and videos to the site. Invite will let you invite all your friends to Gather. Mail lets you access your personal Gather private messaging mailbox.

Favorite groups
You can select up to 20 favorite groups to display on your My Gather page. Eight groups will show by default, but you can expand the list to see all 20. Your favorite groups will be ordered based on recent activity in each group.

Group recommendations
When you click "my friends" on your My Gather page, you'll see in the right-hand column a set of groups recommended just for you. Clicking "view all" will display up to 20 recommended groups. Click "join group" to add the group to your My Groups list, or "no thanks" to keep it from showing again. These groups will change from time to time as you use the site.

Friends of My Friends
Ever wondered who else you know who might be on Gather? Viewing Friends of My Friends helps you find acquaintances you have in common with your friends so you can send them a friend request. To keep a member from showing up again in this area, just click "no thanks" and that person will no longer be displayed as a friend recommendation.

Your Account and Email Preferences

Account settings
In the dashboard of your My Gather page, you'll find a link to "my account". There, you can change your display name, password, email, location, and guarded viewing preferences. The account options you may customize are:

• First Name/Last Name -- Your first and last name will create your "display name" on Gather. This is how your name is displayed on your profile and with your content. To best build your Gather brand, make sure this is how you want others to know you. Your first and last name can be updated at any time on your "my account" or profile pages.
• Location -- Your location is displayed along with your display name. It can be your city and state, metro area, region, country -- it's up to you. There is a 45-character limit for location. Your location can be changed at any time on your "my account" or profile pages.
• Username -- Your username is used to log in to your account on Gather, and cannot be duplicated by another member. Your username also acts as the prefix to your profile URL (username.gather.com), which is public on Gather and is visible to other members. Members cannot currently change usernames. If you need to change your username, please get in touch with us using our Contact Member Support form. Usernames can use up to 16 numbers and/or lowercase letters. No capitals, spaces, symbols, or underscores.
• Password -- Your password is a security feature used while signing in, and should be kept completely to yourself. Your password must be 5 to 20 characters and is completely private. Use it to sign in and redeem Gather Points. You may change your account password by clicking on the 'change password' link on the my account page.

Email preferences
In the dashboard on your My Gather page, you'll find a link to "email preferences," where you can access the email settings for your groups, friends, and content. Here you can select which emails you want to receive from Gather. Gather does not share your email address with anyone. View our privacy policy.

If you're following any conversations, they're also listed. These notifications will automatically expire 7 days after you start following each conversation. You can follow up to 100 conversations at a time.

Guarded viewing
Gather has a feature to allow members to either block content or allow content intended for mature audiences. In order to view this content, which may include nudity, graphic violence, or crude language, the member must be 18 years of age or older. This feature is located on the "my account" page, which you can access from the dashboard on your My Gather page.

Closing my account
We'd hate to see you go. But if you'd like to cancel your membership, please use our Contact Member Support form. Be sure to include both your username and your primary email address on Gather. Once your account is closed, all of your content, Gather Points, and preferences will be deleted from Gather. Another alternative is to visit your "email preferences" page on Gather and turn off all your email notifications. This will stop any unwanted emails in case you wish to try Gather again in the future.

Member Profiles

About member profiles
Profiles allow people to get to know each other better. Your profile is all about you. Describe yourself and share some posts, photos, and videos to let folks know what you're all about. Don't be shy; people want to know you! Even your existing friends might learn something new. Your basic information can help you reconnect with long lost friends or discover your soul mate. Sharing your favorite book, band, or vacation spot may strike up a great conversation. And you never know who might stop by to say hello from school.

Keep in mind that sharing your information with Gather members is intended to be fun. Please carefully consider what you share online. We have controls in place that allow you to decide exactly what information is public and what's available only to the people you identify as friends, family, or colleagues (or whatever you want to name your friend sets). In the end, you need to exercise common sense about what personal information you choose to share.

Creating my profile
After signing in, click the "my profile" link on your My Gather page to input the information you'd like to share with other Gather members. Each section of your profile has an "edit" link that will let you change your info at any time. You can also spotlight any individual photo or photo album, post, or video you've shared by clicking "spotlight this" next to the content in your My Activities section or on the content itself.

Profile information settings
The information on your profile page is optional, and you decide who can view each part of your profile by setting the "Who Can View" options beside each question. Share your information with everyone on Gather, or just particular friend sets you've created. "Just Me" makes your information private, but still allows Gather to display relevant info to you. The more info you fill out, the more other Gather members will be able to get to know you.

Updating my profile
Update the info in your profile by visiting your My Gather page and clicking the "my profile" link. Make sure you don't just set it and forget it! Update your profile often to let others know what's new with you. Each section has an "edit" link that will let you change your info at any time.

Profile information use
This information lets others get to know you and search for you by different info in your profile. But your profile info must be public for others to find you; that means only items shared with "Everyone" can be used in people search. Some items in your profile are also used to display relevant information to you on Gather, such as advertising. Your information is never shared or sold to anyone, so rest assured that your privacy will be respected.

Changing my icon
To change your icon, use the "change icon" link on your profile. Simply browse for the photo you wish to make your Gather icon and upload it. You can also view your photo gallery or the photos in your albums, select the photo you want as your new icon and click "edit." On the photo options page, check the "Make this photo my personal icon on Gather" box. Save it, and you're all set.

Icons are optional, but having one is a great idea. Icons personalize your Gather experience and help other members recognize you. Your icon can be a picture of yourself or anything you choose. Whatever photo you select, it will represent you on your profile page, next to any comments you post, and on all content you share. Make sure to choose a photo that will be recognizable in a small format. Sometimes icons display only 60 pixels wide. A subject that fills the photo, like a close-up of your face, is the best choice. Remember that square icons display best, horizontal icons sometimes display very small, and vertical icons can be too tall to display properly.

About pings
Pings are notes that other Gather members can leave on your profile. You can also leave pings on other people's profiles. It's a great way to say "hi" to someone you know and meet others who interest you.

Ping settings
By default, any Gather member can ping you. You can control your ping settings using the "edit settings" link at the top right of the "ping me" area of your profile. Choose to let just your friends ping you, or restrict pings by unselecting the "allow pings on my profile" checkbox. Want to know when you get a new ping? Just leave that option on in your email preference settings. You can also choose to approve pings before they appear. If you turn this option on in your email preference settings, you'll be notified when new pings need your review.

Deleting pings
You can delete any ping posted to your profile, plus any ping you post on someone else's. Just click the "delete ping" link under the member icon photo. But realize that once a ping is deleted, it's gone forever!

My Activities
The My Activities section of your profile page shows your visitors what you've been up to on Gather. Everyone can see your My Activities list, but they can only see the things they have permission to see. You also have the option to turn off My Activities; just click the "change settings" link and update your settings.

Profile spotlight
A spotlight is a place for you to feature your content. Just click the "spotlight this" link beside the content in your My Activities section or on the content itself. All of your visitors can see your spotlight, but they can only see the things they have permission to see. To turn a spotlight off, just click the "spotlight off" link. The content will be removed from your spotlight, but will still be available in your profile. Your spotlight can hold a maximum of 4 posts and a combination of 4 photos, photo albums, and videos. Once you add another item, the oldest one will be removed from your spotlight.

Viewing my profile as others see it
In your dashboard, click the "View Profile as: public" link to see your profile as others see it. Others' view of your profile differs from your own view, so it's sometimes helpful to see yourself through another person's eyes.

Search

Searching for content, people, and groups
Using the search tool at the top of every page, you can search for posts, photos, videos, people, and groups. You can then refine your results or used the advanced search options to find more specific results. Search results show posts by default, but you can change your view to see photos, videos, people, and groups. Results for posts, photos, and videos show the most popular tags and groups used in the items found in your search. Refine the search by selecting the tags and groups that interest you. Results for groups show the most popular tags and locations used by the groups found in your search. Refine the search by selecting certain tags and groups. Results for people show the most popular tags and locations used by the person found in your search. Refine the search by selecting certain tags.

Searching for people using profile information
Use the search tool at the top of every page and its refine options to find people by the info in their profiles. Your results will show the most popular interests, affiliations, and information for the people found in your search. Refine the search for more specific results, or remove these refinements by clicking the items in the "refined by" section. The more interesting and complete your profile, the easier it is for others to find and connect with you! Be aware that only public information (profile info set to "Everyone") will be searchable.

Search refinements
Refine your search results by selecting items in the refinements column. Selecting refinements will narrow your search results. To remove search refinements, simply click the items that you want to remove in the "refined by" section. You'll then get broader search results.

Advanced search
After you run a search, you have the option to run an advanced search, for which you can specify more detailed search criteria up front. Advanced searches are only run against the search results type you are currently viewing '- posts, photos, videos, people, or groups '- and only results that match all the requested information will be found. The 'search terms' field considers all these information categories. Providing information in other categories will narrow your search.

Searching a group
When you're viewing a group homepage or any other group page, search the group by using the box located in the group navigation bar. You can also run an advanced search and enter the group you want to search as one of the search criteria.

Items not appearing in search results
There are a number of reasons why you might not be able find something or someone on Gather. Are you sure you searched by the correct name or title? If it's a post, photo, or video, it may have been deleted by the author. If it's a group or piece of content, it's possible that it has mature settings, so you'd need to be signed in and have your guarded viewing turned off to see it. And if a group you're looking for is private, it may not be visible.

Inviting

Inviting others to Gather
Inviting friends, family, and colleagues to Gather is a great way to keep in touch and grow your Gather network with new friends. You can find the link to Invite on your My Gather dashboard. You can import email addresses directly from other email programs. Simply choose the Webmail or Social Network option, then click the Get Contacts button, which lets you select an email account or a social network to import addresses from. We've preloaded a standard invitation message, but you can customize it any way you want. Finally, click the Send Invites button. Your invitations will be sent from the email address you registered with Gather; you can change that address at any time on your account settings page.

When you share a photo album, you can invite friends and family who aren't on Gather to join and see your photos. It's a great way to share memories of a party, holiday, or vacation with folks who were there -- and those who weren't! Any time after you share a photo album, post, or video (either publicly or with your friend sets), simply view that content again to send an invitation to those you'd like to join Gather and see your stuff.

If you own a group or belong to a group that allows invitations, you can use the "invite to group" link to invite people to Gather and the group.

You can also bring new members to the site using a personal invite link. After you access the Invite feature from your My Gather page, click "invitation links" to check out the cool text banners, graphic banners, and standard links you can use. Post them anywhere on the web; people simply click on your link to join you on Gather!

Who to invite
Invite anyone! Bringing your offline friends online will help you keep in touch with the people in your world easier than ever. Invite your family, your friends -- anyone. And remember that you can create as many different friend sets as you need in order to share particular content with particular friends.

Benefits of inviting people
The more people who join Gather, the larger and more diverse the community becomes, and the site's content becomes more varied, too. Not only will you be able to find anything your friends share, including their comments, but you'll also have access to their friends. And connecting is a two-way street; inviting more people increases the number of people who will want to read your posts and give feedback on your content -- and the easier it becomes to keep in touch with each others' lives.

Old invitations
Your invitations remain open until the recipient joins. A reminder may be sent after 5 days from your initial invitation. Your friends, family and colleagues can't become part of your My Friends network unless they register with Gather.

Personal invitation links
You can invite people to Gather using your blog, website, email, or IM. After you access the Invite feature from your My Gather page, click "invitation links" to see your options. You can choose a standard link URL, a text banner, or a graphic banner. When you copy one of the links, be sure to copy it exactly as it's displayed for the invitation to work correctly.

Friends

About friends on Gather
Friends are the people you've connected with on Gather, also known as My Friends. Invite as many people as you'd like to join. You'll be connected automatically to them when they join Gather. You can also search for people already on Gather using the search box located at the top of every page. And the Friends of My Friends section of your My Gather page suggests people in your extended network you may know.

If you're interested in making a current member your friend, simply click the Add as Friend button on the member's profile page and send a friend request; you then have the option to organize your friends based on how you know them by adding them to a friend set or by creating a new one. The member will receive your friend request and he or she can accept or decline.

Connecting expands your personal network (My Friends), as well as your readership. The more people you're friends with, the more personal networks you join. The result? More people read, comment on, and rate your work, and others get the same benefits for their own work. It all adds up to the best experience for each Gather member. And if you also bring your offline friends online, you can more easily keep up with what's new in each other's lives.

My Friends
The My Friends page lists all of your connections on Gather. Check out the Friend Updates, Content for Me, and Comments by My Friends sections on your My Gather page to find out what your friends are up to. If you want email updates on what they're sharing and doing on Gather, simply choose the desired notifications on your "email preferences" page or click the "friend settings" link near each of your friends on that page. Whenever content or comments are shared, new connections are made, and profiles are updated, these details will show up in your Friend Updates; you can also choose to get an email letting you know.

Friend sets
Friend sets are a simple way for you to organize your friends based on how you know them. We've started by suggesting Friends, Family, and Colleagues, but you can change these or create your own. Friend sets are optional and private; only you can see how you've organized your friends.

Friend sets let you control who appears in the Friend Updates, Content for Me, and Comments by My Friends sections of your My Gather page; friend sets also let you share content with selected friends. Have a picture you only want your coworkers to see? It's easy to do this on Gather.

When you accept or send a friend request, you'll be asked how you know this person. By clicking your friend sets in the list, you can associate each person with the friend sets you make. You can change these at any time from your My Friends page by clicking the "friend settings" link under the icon of each friend listed.

Managing friend sets
On your My Friends page, you'll see all your friend sets listed in a dropdown at the top of the page. Click the "edit friend sets" button to add, change, or delete any friend set. On the Edit Friend Sets page, select the friend set you wish to edit, then add or remove people from the selected set using the lists of people provided. The people on the left are not part of the selected set, and the people on the right are part of the selected set. Make your selections, then click Save.

Connecting with a Gather member
You can find specific members by searching for their first name, last name, city, state, or username from the search box at the top of the site. Visit their profile pages and request to be connected by clicking the Add as Friend button. Then check out those friends' friends to see if they're connected with someone you may have missed.

Removing a friend connection
To remove a connection at any time, simply click "friend settings" beneath the member icon in your My Friends list or on that person's profile page. Then click the "remove friend" option.

Groups

About groups on Gather
Want to connect in a whole new way? Groups are a great way to do it. They're centralized spaces for members to share posts, photos, and videos with a common theme or for a common purpose. A group can be anything from a fan club to a writers' workshop to a blog. It can be public and visible to all Gather members, or private and only visible to its members. The same goes with content: group members can share posts, photos, or videos with the group only or make content accessible to everyone.

Searching for groups
Use the search tool at the top of any page to find groups that interest you. The search engine will check groups by name, groupspace URL, group tags, and description. Your results will show the most popular tags and locations used by the groups found in your search. Refine the search by selecting certain tags and groups. When the results appear, click the "groups" link to view the groups portion of the results. Or, remove these refinements by clicking the items shown in the "refined by" section.

Joining a group
When you visit a group, you'll see a Join This Group button on the right-hand side of the page. If the group membership is moderated, your membership request will be sent to the group owner and member moderator/s. You'll receive an email after your request has been reviewed, letting you know if you've been accepted. If the group membership is not moderated, you'll be able to participate in the group immediately after joining.

Creating a group
Once you're a member and signed in, choose the Groups tab in the main menu, then click the Create a Group link on the page. The group creation process includes just a few easy steps. Give your group a name, unique group URL, and description, and set the group permissions. The group type you select will determine the initial group homepage layout and look, but you can customize the modules that appear on your group homepage and select a different theme. We also recommend that you give your group a banner and a group icon to spark interest in potential members.

If the group URL you want is taken or you're looking for suggestions, click the "Want help choosing a URL?" link. You can enter up to four keywords to find available URLs for your group.

Download Gather Groups℠: A Guide for Owners to learn more about the basics of creating a group on Gather. download pdf

Group permissions
Permissions vary by group, and are determined by the group owner. A group's owner (who is also the group creator) has full group permissions. Many groups allow all members to share posts, photos, and videos, see all content, and comment on each other's work. Public groups allow all members to invite others to the group, as well. Group members may also be given permission to moderate content posted by other members, moderate group membership, or moderate group comments that appear in the Conversation Space, if one is active for the group. But again, all permissions are assigned on a group-by-group basis. Always contact the owner if you have questions or concerns.

Group email settings
If you are a member of a group, you can edit your email preferences for that group by selecting the "email preferences" link in the group space. The email preferences for all of your groups can also be managed on the email preferences page accessible from My Gather.

Inviting others to a group
If you're the group owner or a group member with permission to invite, you'll have an Invite Members link in the right-hand column on the group page. You'll be able to invite current Gather members to your group and also people who aren't yet Gather members.

Sharing content with a group
Sharing a post, photo, or video when you're a member of a group is a great way to target your content to people on Gather who'll find it most interesting. Group owners decide what permissions to place on their groups that either allow or prevent other group members from sharing with the group. When a group owner has set the group permissions to allow others to share content, you can use the "share with group" link that appears in a group space to share only with that group, or use the typical share process to share with more than one appropriate group. In the typical share process, the groups you belong to will be listed in the content options, including whether they are public, private, or moderated. Simply select each group to add to the "Share with these groups" list at the end of the sharing process. If a group is moderated, your content will be reviewed and accepted if it meets the group owner or content moderator's guidelines.

Removing my content from a group
If you'd like to remove posts, photos, or videos you've shared with a group but keep the content on Gather, just change the sharing settings. Simply click "edit" next to your name on the content display page. You can remove any or all groups from the share list. Make sure you click Submit to save your changes.

Content ownership in groups
Everything you share on Gather (as long as it's yours to begin with) remains yours. The owner of a group may remove content from the group as he or she sees fit, but any content deleted from a group will still be available in the list of content on your profile.

My content was removed from a group
The owner or designated content moderator of a group may remove content from the group, but it's still available under your own profile. If you have any questions about a particular group's policies, always contact the group owner.

I can't share with a group
There are several reasons that may keep you from sharing with a group. First, you must be a member of a group before you can share. Second, some groups only allow certain members to share content. You can find out the specific details of member permissions in the group's description or by contacting the group's owner.

Removing myself from a group
To remove yourself from a group at any time, simply click "remove" under the group icon in your My Groups list or on the group homepage.

Group owners and moderators
A group's owner is the creator of the group and has control over all aspects of it. A moderator is a member who has been given permission by the owner to accept, reject, and/or delete group content and comments in the group Conversation Space, and/or moderate group membership.

Group homepages
Group owners can select which modules appear on a group homepage. Some modules will be enabled when you create the group, but these can be moved off the homepage and others added.

The following group homepage modules are available for the left-hand column:

• Featured Content -- This module lists featured posts, photos, and videos on the homepage. You can set the number of list items, from 1-10, and select items to show in the list by editing the content settings for each feature. The "first," "previous," and "next" links on the module let people browse up to the most recent 500 features.
• Recent Content -- This module lists all recent posts, photos, and videos in a single stream. You can set the number of list items, from 1-10. The "first," "previous," and "next" links on the module let people browse up to the most recent 500 additions. The Recent Posts, Recent Photos, and Recent Videos modules are alternatives to this one.
• Recent Posts -- In the list view version, you can display 1-10 headlines from the most recent group posts. The full view version shows the full content of the most recent posts with a synopsis from the latest comment.
• Recent Photos -- You can choose to display 4-16 of the most recent group photos.
• Recent Videos -- You can choose to display 4-16 of the most recent group videos.
• Content Comments -- You can choose to display 1-10 of the most recent comments added to posts, photos, and videos in the group.
• Conversation Space -- If this module is enabled, group members can leave and reply to group comments. You choose whether group comments appear automatically or have to be reviewed and accepted before they appear on the group. Group comments are visible to everyone on Gather.
• Inbound RSS -- You can syndicate content headlines from other sites with RSS capability into Gather. You must provide an external RSS URL for this module to display content.
• Announcement -- You can post messages to the group using this rich HTML module.
• Custom HTML (left) -- This module lets you customize an area of the homepage with any valid HTML.

The following group homepage modules are available for the right-hand column:

• Group Tags -- Including a list of tags descriptive of the group's content can help visitors browse your group and ensure it shows up when users search for groups. Up to 20 tags display on the group homepage, and you can edit them at any time. As content about those tags is added to the group, the number of related content items will appear next to each tag, and people can click any tag to see a list of that content.
• Popular Tags -- As content is added to the group, the popular tags module displays up to 20 tags most common on the content in the group. Visitors can click each tag to see a list of the related content.
• Recent Members -- This module displays the latest Gather members who joined the group.
• Archives -- Useful for a blog or for indexing content, this module lets users click a past month and display all the content that was shared with the group in that month. Up to 12 months may appear, depending on when content was added.
• Stats -- This module shows the number of group members as well as the number of posts, photos, videos, and content comments added to the group in the last 7 days.
• Group Links -- You can build a list of up to 50 links to other favorite Gather groups, member profiles, or external sites.
• Custom HTML (right) -- This module lets you customize an area of the homepage with any valid HTML.

The group information and ads that appear in the right-hand column are required and cannot be moved.

Custom group themes
You can select a visual theme or "skin" to change the look and feel of your group. The theme applies to the group navigation, homepage, and subpages, and to the group tagspaces and search results.

Custom group banners
To give your group a unique look, create a JPG, GIF, or PNG image that's exactly 990 pixels wide by 220 pixels tall. On the group appearance page, use the Browse button to find the group banner on your hard drive and upload it to Gather. Then simply click Submit, and the photo will replace the standard Gather banner at the top of your group pages once the photo has been processed. Additionally, the photo should be 72dpi, any color palette, and will be covered in part on the top and bottom by Gather's navigational features. This space may not be used for commercial purposes, may not infringe on any patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, or other proprietary right of any party (unless you are the owner of the rights or have the permission of the owner to post such content), and it may not contain adult content. No group owner will be allowed to sell or profit from this space without prior written consent from Gather, and Gather shall have the right to remove any banner that is objectionable or otherwise violates Gather's User Terms of Service Agreement.

Custom group icon
Setting your group icon is as easy as visiting your group appearance page and uploading the photo you want to represent your group. If you'd like to change the icon later, return to this page, upload a new photo, and submit the changes; the old one will be replaced once the new one has processed.

Custom group background
Each theme has its own group background, but you can change it. You can upload a JPG, GIF, or PNG image with a maximum width of 300 px, and it will be tiled to add a background to your group. If you'd like to change the background graphic later, return to this page, upload a new photo, and submit the changes; the old one will be replaced once the new one has been processed.

Featuring content in a group
To feature content in a group, you must be the group owner or a content moderator. Go to the group's homepage and click Manage Content; from there you can search for the content you want to feature. Click the feature or un-feature link next to the selected content to change the settings. You can also use the feature and un-feature links that appear on the featured, posts, photos, and videos lists in the group.

Managing my group's settings, members, etc.
To manage your group, visit the Group Settings link on the right-hand side of your group page; manage your group members via the Manage Members link. You can update the permissions assigned to each of your members. If you remove someone from the group, they may join at a later time. If you block someone, they're not eligible to rejoin unless the owner or a member moderator removes the block. Keep in mind that if a member is no longer part of the group, his or her content will remain in the group unless it's removed by the owner or content moderator.

Assigning administrative and moderation permissions to group members
Advanced Member Settings allow a group owner or member moderator to assign special privileges to select members. You might decide to allow certain members to moderate content, and allow other members to feature content, moderate group comments in the Conversation Space, or participate in other group activities.

Group owners can also assign administrative privileges to other group members. This setting gives group members access to options only available to the group owner, including group layout and group settings. Note: group administrators cannot assign administrative rights to other members; only group owners can grant administrative privileges.

To assign advanced privileges to group members, simply click the Manage Members link on your group's homepage, then find the member and edit the member settings.

Deleting a group I created
To delete a group, send us a request using our Contact Member Support form.

Commenting

About comments on Gather
Interested in starting or joining a conversation? Comments are a great way to contribute to the Gather community and build your network of friends. Every comment includes a link to the commenter's profile, so others will see you and check out your stuff. Type a comment in the main comment box or click "reply to this comment" to respond to a comment, then click "Submit." Careful: you won't be able to edit it once it is posted. And always remember to respect others with whatever you have to say.

Finding comments I've made
Comments you've made will appear in My Activities (on your profile), on the My Comments page linked off your My Gather page, and in the Friend Updates that your Gather friends see.

Finding comments others have made
You can find comments another member has made by clicking Comments on his or her profile. Comments posted by your friends also appear under Comments by My Friends on your My Gather page.

Replying to a comment
You can reply directly to content comments left by other members. Just click "reply to this comment" under a comment on the post, photo, or video you're viewing and type your own comment in the window. You can only reply to comments that are active; if the comment writer deleted the original comment, you'll see a placeholder and previous replies, but you can't add a reply.

Deleting a comment I've made
Click "delete" immediately next to your comment. Nothing will be shown on the post, photo, or video for comments deleted by the comment writer, and these comments won't be visible anywhere on Gather.

Removing others' comments from my content
After a comment has been posted, the content owner can remove it, but this can't be reversed. If the comment has replies, all its replies will also be removed. A note on the content will show how many comments have been removed, and the removed comments will still appear on the comment writers' comments pages.

Editing a comment
Comment editing is not available at this time. It's a good idea to reread your comments before posting.

Placing links in comments
You can easily include a link within your comment. Simply type in the comment box the text you want to be linked, then highlight the text. The comment link icon will become active. Click the link icon, enter the URL the text should link to, and save your changes. The link will be active after you submit the comment.

Placing photos or links in comments
Some HTML may work in comments, but HTML as a rule is not currently supported in the comments section.

Commenting permissions on my content
Each time you share a post, photo, or video, you can choose which Gather members can comment on it. Either all site members can comment, only your friends can, or no one is allowed to comment on your content, including yourself.

Approving comments made on my content before they appear
By default, any Gather member can comment on your content. But you can restrict commenting to Gather members who you're friends with, or turn off the comment option entirely by unselecting the "allow comments" checkbox. You can also choose to approve all comments before they appear; if you do, you'll be notified when new comments require review and will see an alert on your My Gather page. You can edit these options at any time. If you have any comments pending approval when you make changes to these settings, you'll still need to approve them before they appear.

I don't see my comment on a post, photo, or video
There are a couple of reasons why your comment might not be showing up. If a content owner has chosen to review comments before they appear, your comment can't be seen by others until it has been approved. Your comment status can be reviewed at any time on your "my comments" page of My Gather. Another possibility is that your comment has been declined or removed by the content owner. Removed comments will remain visible for others to see, based on the content-viewing permissions, only in your "my comments" page.

I can't comment on a post, photo, or video
If you're unable to post a comment, either you must be connected to this Gather member to post a comment, or the member has disallowed comments. The content display page will indicate if any restrictions have been set.

Comment statuses on "my comments" page
Depending on the permissions members have placed on their content, your comments can be: (a) in review, (b) declined, or (c) removed. "In review" comments need the content author's approval. "Declined" comments have been refused by the content author and won't become public (but will still remain on your "my comments" page under My Gather). "Removed" comments were once posted for others to see, but have been removed by the content owner. (These are still visible to others on your "my comments" page and under "comments by me" in the Comments menu based on the content-viewing permissions). Approved comments are live and visible to everyone.

Comments removed by a content owner
If your comment has been removed, you won't receive a notification. And if someone has removed your comment, this action can't be reversed. This comment will remain visible for others to see, based on the content-viewing permissions, only on your "my comments" page.

A note indicating how many comments have been removed by the content owner will display on the content display page. Removed comments will remain visible for others to see, based on the content-viewing permissions, only in the comment writer's "my comments" page.

Comment restriction rules
If you restrict or disable your commenting options, your content may not be viewable on the most popular lists and might not be eligible for some Gather-sponsored contests. Remember: you can remove unwanted comments from your post at any time. Gather encourages all members to allow open discussion and debate on their content.

Private Messaging

About Gather private messaging
Private messaging is private member-to-member communication that exists solely inside the Gather community. Use private messages to communicate with other Gather members conveniently, keeping your personal email address private. Want to know more? Learn just how important your privacy is to us here.

Blocking senders
Gather doesn't want you to be bothered by messages from people you don't want to hear from. Each time you receive a message, a "block this sender" link will appear beside the sender's name. To block the sender, just click the link. The sender will not be notified that his or her messages are being blocked.

When to use private messaging
When you'd like to communicate with a member one-on-one, send a private message. When you'd like to critique or create dialogue about a member's content, post a comment. Private messaging helps build private relationships, and commenting benefits the entire Gather community.

Sending a message to a member I'm not connected to
If you want to contact Gather members you're not connected to, send them a private message. Just click the Send Message button under the icon on any member's profile page.

Content Sharing

About content sharing on Gather
In short, you can share anything you wish -- if it's yours. Have an interesting story to tell? Want to share your favorite recipe or show off that fantastic set of pictures you just took? Have a video of your dad's birthday party? Gather is the place to show it off. You can share almost anything, from haiku to horticulture.

Content ownership
You own and are responsible for all of your original content on Gather. Anything you create on Gather is copyrighted by you as soon as you share it, as long as the content is legally yours.

For more information on copyright law, please see the United States Copyright Office's circular.

Sharing content "intended for mature audiences"
If your post or photo were a movie, would it be rated R? If the answer is yes, or if you think your piece would get an even more mature rating, then your piece is probably intended for mature audiences.

Any of the following content is considered to be intended for mature audiences: nudity, crude or indecent language, and graphic violence.

It's your responsibility to correctly classify any content you share on Gather. The Gather Editorial Team reserves the right to add adult settings to your work, or in extreme cases, to delete material that violates the Gather Editorial Policy. Please see the Gather User Terms of Service Agreement for more information.

Content sharing and copyright law
According to the standards of Fair Use, you can reprint brief quotations of copyrighted material. But you must give proper credit to the original source and use it as an addition to your own original content. Understand, though, you're responsible for everything you share, including any material that may infringe on the rights of others, as is stated in the Gather User Terms of Service Agreement.

For more information on copyright law, please see the United States Copyright Office's circular.

Content sharing and Gather Points™
You'll also earn Gather Points™ just for creating popular, quality experiences that drive participation in the community. The more valuable the experience is that you create, the more points you'll earn. Gather Points are your currency to purchase goods and services from your favorite Gather Points partners.

Fair Use rules for quoting another author
When sharing a portion of someone else's content, it must be for the purpose of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research, according to the United States Copyright Office. There's no clear definition of what constitutes Fair Use, but acknowledging the source of the copyrighted material is no substitution for obtaining permission. As a general guide, only quote specific lines or passages from another source, not the entire piece. Also, you must use the cited material as an addition to your own original content. You should familiarize yourself with the copyright laws to make sure you don't infringe on someone's rights.

For more information on Fair Use in copyright law, please check out the United States Copyright Office's Fair Use guide.

Content view counts
You can see how many people have viewed your posts, photos, or videos by looking at the lists in your "my posts," "my photos," or "my videos" pages off your My Gather page. You can see the number of views for other members' content by looking at any of their content lists in their profile.

Editing content I've shared
Go to your My Gather page and visit your "my posts," "my photos," or "my videos," or any individual post, photo, photo album, or video you've shared on Gather. There you have the choice to edit or delete the content. Click "edit" located under the content title. Make your changes and click Save. Gather will stamp your content with the date you made the modification, but no one in your network will receive any notices about your content being edited, and you won't lose any ratings or comments.

Deleting content I've shared
Go to your My Gather page and visit "my posts," "my photos," or "my videos," or any individual post, photo, photo album, or video you've shared on Gather. There you'll see the option to edit or delete the content. Click "delete," under the content title. Your content will then be removed from Gather.

Increasing my content viewership
There are many ways to increase your readership on Gather. Writing consistently within a topical area will help grow your audience over time. You may also invite people you know who like what you share on Gather to view your content. You may promote your content outside of Gather with others who share your interests through sites like Facebook, Digg, and Twitter. Using Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques will help your content appear more prominently in search engines which helps build your audience as well. You can learn about earning more points at earnmorepoints.gather.com or about Search Engine Optimization specifically at seo.gather.com.

Use a handful of descriptive tags to make it easier for people to find your work -- and always use tags that really describe what you're sharing. We suggest that you highlight your favorite content by spotlighting it on your profile page. To spotlight something, just click "spotlight this" beside your favorite post, photo, photo album, or video in your My Activities section, and it'll be the first thing others see when they view your profile. Also, if you comment thoughtfully on others' content, more people will know your name and check out your profile and content.

Sharing content with select groups or friends
To share content with a group, first join the group. Then, when sharing your content, you can choose who can view it. If you choose "Everyone," your choices will be all of Gather and a list of the public groups you belong to. Just click the names of no more than 250 groups in the "My Groups" list to add them to the "Share with these groups" list. Clicking a group name under "Share with these groups" will remove that group from the list. All members of these groups will now see your new content in the Content for Me "by groups" section of their My Gather pages. When you're viewing a group, you can click the "share with group" link, which will let you share content with the current group only. Be sure your content meets the requirements of the groups you select before sharing.

If you set your viewing preference to "private," only selected friends or your private groups will be available. Your content will also be visible for these friend sets to view in their Content for Me section. To share with selected friend sets or private groups, just click the names of the groups in the "My Groups" or "My Friend Sets" list to add them to the "Share with" list.

Remember that when you share content privately, only the selected friends or members of the selected private groups can see your work.

For moderated groups, your content will be reviewed before it's accepted or declined, so you may not see it posted in the group right away.

Sharing content with private and public groups
Content can't be posted simultaneously to private and public groups. If you really need to share something with both public and private groups, you'll need to share the content again with a different audience.

Sharing content with groups and selected friends
Content can't be posted simultaneously to groups and friend sets. If you really need to share something with multiple audiences both public and private, you'll need to share the content again with a different audience.

Importing my blog
RSS tools are available. If you'd like to import your blog, please send us a request using the Contact Member Support form. If you're a group owner, you can import your blog post titles into the Inbound RSS module that can be placed on the group homepage.

Sharing Posts

About sharing posts
It's easy to share posts on Gather. Choose Share under the Explore menu or click Share in the dashboard on your My Gather page. To share posts with a specific group, you can also click the "share with group" link in the group. Next, type in or cut-and-paste your post. Add a title, choose tags, and add a photo if you want. Then set the options, such as selecting who can view it. Please check the appropriate descriptions for content involving subject matter than can be described as adult content. Then, click Submit and you're done. To avoid losing your work in progress, be sure to check the "keep me signed in" checkbox when you log in.

Saving post drafts
You can begin sharing a post and come back any time to finish it. Click "Save as Draft" whenever you want to stop. When you're ready to work on it again, click Share and your draft will appear in a box at the top of the "Create Your Post" page. Click "edit" next to your draft and continue working on it. You can do this as many times as you want. When you're ready to share your post, remember to format it and add tags, assign it to a group if applicable, and select who can view the post. Share your post with any groups you're allowed to share with. Please check the appropriate descriptions for content involving subject matter that can be described as adult content. Don't forget to click Submit when you're done.

Post editing tools
You have the following controls available to create and format your posts:

• Clear. Click on this button to clear the contents in the post window.
• Cut. Highlight text, and then click on the scissors to remove the text from your post. Cut text can be pasted elsewhere.
• Copy. Highlight text, and then click on the copy button to hold your text in the editor so it can be copied elsewhere in your post
• The Paste button, only available in Internet Explorer, is used to insert text you've copied from elsewhere. Position your cursor in the section of your post where you'd like your copied text to appear. Left-click your mouse, then left-click on the paste button.
• Click the Undo button to reverse your last edit.
• Click the Redo button to reverse an undo.
• Click this button to Left-Justify your text.
• Click this button to Center your text.
• Click this button to Right-Justify your text.
• Click this button to Full-Justify your text.
• Use this button to create a Numbered list. Position your cursor in the text you'd like to organize as a list, and then click the numbered list button. Repeat this process until your list is complete.
• Use this button to create a Bulleted list. Position your cursor in the text you'd like to organize as a list, and then click the bulleted list button. Repeat this process until your list is complete.
• Indent your text by clicking on this button. Position your cursor over text to be indented, and then left-click the indent button until the text is positioned as you wish.
• Reverse indented text by clicking on this button.
• Use the Link button to add a clickable URL to your text. Position your cursor in the text where you want the URL to be located, left-click the link button, and then enter the URL of the address you're linking to. You can select the "launch in new window" option if you'd like the link to open in a new browser.
• Delete the link from your text with this button. Position your cursor on the link, then click the delete link button.
• Click the Paste as text button to display a popup. Paste your content into the popup to purposefully remove all formatting.
• Paste from Word button will display a popup to paste your content into but will specifically clean up Microsoft Word formatting and maintain as much as possible.
• Use the Remove formatting button to remove all previous formatting. If content has formatting applied that you wish to remove, highlight the text and then click this button.
• Choose a Font family to change the font of the selected text. The font must be installed in your browser to be applied.
• Choose a Font size to change the size of the selected text.
• Choose a Font color to change the color of the selected text.
• Click this button to Bold the selected text.
• Click this button to Italicize the selected text.
• Click this button to Underline the selected text.
• Edit HTML Source. This will display a popup that allows you to enter your own HTML source code. If you already have a post in the editor, this popup will allow you to see the HTML source code and make granular changes.
• Resize Editor vertically. This allows you to resize the editor on the Share page where you create your post. If the size is changed, it will be cookied so it's the same the next time you visit the Share page

Using HTML tags in posts, captions, and comments
If you know how to use them, the following HTML tags are recognized in posts: <a>, <b>, <i>, <u>, <br>, <p>, <em>, <strong>, <blockquote>, <img>, <font>, <span>, <div>, <pre>, <ul>, <ol>, <li>, <table>, <tr>, <td>, <thead>, <tbody>.

Gather will automatically remove or disable other restricted HTML code in posts, including embed code, unless it is from one of the following sites: Google, MySpace, Yahoo, YouTube, Tagworld, Photobucket, APM, Nabbr, Polldaddy, CBS, Hulu, Fox News, CNN, and NBC.

Using HTML attributes in posts, captions, and comments
If you know how to use them, the following style attributes are allowed: Font-weight, Font-style, Text-decoration, Color, Margin, Width, Height, Float.

Adding a photo to my post
Adding photos to your posts can take your content to the next level. Use the Add Photos to Your Post link just below the text editor window to access the post photo upload page. There you can add up to 40 photos at a time, plus captions, tags, and geotags for each. When you're done, use the Return to Post Editor button to finish your post. Once your uploaded photos are available, you can use the small photos that appear beneath the text editor, or click any photo to access it in a larger version. Simply click and drag the individual photos into the post editor and they'll display inline with your text. Displaying inline photos in a post works in Internet Explorer and Firefox if pop-ups are enabled. If you'd like the photo to be attached to the post but not appear in it, then all you need to do is upload the photo. As always, don't share copyrighted material unless it's your own.

Uploading photos to posts
To upload photos, you must allow your browser to work with the Gather uploader.

If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer as your browser, you must install the Gather Uploader ActiveX control when prompted. The installation only takes a few minutes and you only need to do it one time. When you try to share a photo or video, a yellow information bar will appear at the top of your browser window. Click the bar, then select Install ActiveX Control from the dropdown menu. After the page reloads and a dialog box appears, click Install and follow the instructions in the dialog box to add the control to your browser.

If you are using a browser other than Internet Explorer, you must install a Java Web plug-in and "trust" the Gather uploader application. If you do not have a Java Web plug-in, a small graphic and message will appear on the share page. Click the link and follow the instructions to install the Java plug-in. You will also be prompted to "trust" an applet certificate for the Gather Uploader. Select the checkbox to "always trust" certificates from Gather and save the setting. If you do not select the checkbox to "always trust," you will see this prompt each time you upload photos, videos, or a new icon.

Embedding video code in a post
You can embed video code from certain sites into your Gather posts. Embed code is permitted from YouTube, Google, MySpace, Yahoo!, TagWorld, Photobucket, and of course Gather. To insert the embed code, click the HTML edit button in the post editor toolbar, then paste the video embed code into the HTML window. The embedded video will be viewable right in your post.

Sharing Photos

About sharing photos
Click Share, then click the Share Photos button. You can upload photos into a new or existing photo album or as individual photos (not in an album). Photos uploaded to an album will all have the same viewing permissions that you set for the album. After making your album choice, click Choose Photos and select up to 40 photo files from your computer. Or, you can open a directory-explore window on your computer and drag-and-drop the photo files you want into the upload photos page. The following file formats can be uploaded: JPG, GIF, and PNG.

When you have finished selecting files, click Upload. The progress bar will indicate when your photos are fully uploaded. While the files are uploading, you can edit rating and commenting settings. Make sure you're applying the appropriate settings if your photo is intended for mature audiences. Don't forget to click Share and Continue to save and share your work.

Next, you can add a caption, tags, and a geotag (to show where your photo was taken) to each photo. The photos will be uploaded into your Gather photo gallery. If you added the photos to an album, they'll appear on the "all albums" view; individual photos not placed in albums appear on the "other photos" view.

To share photos with a specific group, you can click the "share with group" link in the group, which will let you share content with the current group only. Note that photos will be shared individually, but you can put them into albums in your "my photos" area.

Photo Albums
You can organize photos you upload to Gather into photo albums. When you share photos, you'll have the option to select an existing album or create a new one by entering an album name and description, and by setting viewing permissions. All photos you add to the album will take on the viewing permissions set for the album, and a photo can only be in one album at a time. All the albums you create will appear on the "all albums" view under "my photos."

Sorting photos into albums
Already uploaded some individual pictures? You can still sort them into albums. On your "my photos" page, click the Organize Photos button in the module header. This tool lets you view the contents of an album or the photos not yet placed into albums and drag-and-drop them into a new album. You can also delete photos from the site by dragging them into the delete area.

Changing my icon
Icons personalize your Gather experience and help other members recognize you. Your icon can be a picture of yourself or anything you choose. Whatever photo you select, it will represent you on the site -- on your profile page, next to comments you post, and with content you share. Make sure to choose a photo that will be recognizable in a small format. Sometimes icons display only 60 pixels wide. A subject that fills the photo, like a close-up of your face, is the best choice. When deciding what photo to choose, remember that square icons display best, horizontal icons sometimes display very small, and vertical icons can be too tall to display properly.

To change your icon, use the "change icon" link on your profile. Simply browse for the photo you wish to make your Gather icon and upload it. You can also view your photo gallery or the photos in your albums, select the photo you want as your new icon, and click "edit." On the photo options page, check the "Make this photo my personal icon on Gather" box. Save it, and you're all set.

Uploading photos to posts
To upload photos, you must allow your browser to work with the Gather uploader.

If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer as your browser, you must install the Gather Uploader ActiveX control when prompted. The installation only takes a few minutes and you only need to do it one time. When you try to share a photo or video, a yellow information bar will appear at the top of your browser window. Click the bar, then select Install ActiveX Control from the dropdown menu. After the page reloads and a dialog box appears, click Install and follow the instructions in the dialog box to add the control to your browser.

If you are using a browser other than Internet Explorer, you must install a Java Web plug-in and "trust" the Gather uploader application. If you do not have a Java Web plug-in, a small graphic and message will appear on the share page. Click the link and follow the instructions to install the Java plug-in. You will also be prompted to "trust" an applet certificate for the Gather Uploader. Select the checkbox to "always trust" certificates from Gather and save the setting. If you do not select the checkbox to "always trust," you will see this prompt each time you upload photos, videos, or a new icon.

Photo quality
Here are some guidelines for sharing the best quality photos with speedy uploading and processing. Your photo file must be in JPG, GIF, or PNG format and the file size can't exceed 6 megabytes. During processing, we convert your file and change the photo size so it displays properly. The full size a photo will display on Gather is 550 pixels wide. We recommend that you save your JPG file with a resolution of 72 dots per inch (DPI), and resize the photo to 550 pixels wide before uploading.

Fair Use rules for sharing photos
When sharing a portion of someone else's content, it must be for the purpose of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research, according to the United States Copyright Office. There's no clear definition of what constitutes Fair Use, but acknowledging the source of the copyrighted material is no substitution for obtaining permission. As a general guide, only use a small number of photos or portions of photos from another source, not the entire album or photo. Also, you must use the copied photo as an addition to your own original content. You should familiarize yourself with the copyright laws to make sure you don't infringe on someone's rights.

For more information on Fair Use in copyright law, please check out the United States Copyright Office's Fair Use guide.

Sharing Videos

About sharing videos
Go to the Share tab and click the Share a Video button. Then click "Browse" to select a video file from your computer, in any of the following formats: AVI, FLV, MPG, MPEG, MOV, and WMV, or ASF, WAV, or MP3 audio files, up to 100 megabytes. Upload the videos, one at a time, into your Gather videos gallery. Your file will begin uploading and processing automatically, and the status will display while this is happening. At the same time, you can create your title and caption, select tags, and choose settings for your video. Please check the appropriate descriptions for content involving subject matter that can be described as adult content. Then, click Share, and you're done. Repeat this process for each video you want to upload. And if something goes wrong, you can cancel and start over during the upload. To share a video with a specific group, you can click the "share with group" link in the group, which will let you share content with the current group only.

Video quality
Gather processes your video file and converts it to Flash format. Keep in mind when editing your video that we use the frame three seconds into it for the thumbnail photo that everyone sees. Follow these guidelines to share the best quality video on Gather:

• Frame rate above 12 frames per second (FPS), 30 FPS preferred
• Bitrate 250 kps
• Frame ratio 4:3
• Resolution 640 x 480 pixels
• Non-interlaced

Uploading videos
To upload videos, you must allow your browser to work with the Gather uploader.

If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer as your browser, you must install the Gather Uploader ActiveX control when prompted. The installation only takes a few minutes and you only need to do it one time. When you try to share a photo or video, a yellow information bar will appear at the top of your browser window. Click the bar, then select Install ActiveX Control from the dropdown menu. After the page reloads and a dialog box appears, click Install and follow the instructions in the dialog box to add the control to your browser.

If you are using a browser other than Internet Explorer, you must install a Java Web plug-in and "trust" the Gather uploader application. If you do not have a Java Web plug-in, a small graphic and message will appear on the share page. Click the link and follow the instructions to install the Java plug-in. You will also be prompted to "trust" an applet certificate for the Gather Uploader. Select the checkbox to "always trust" certificates from Gather and save the setting. If you do not select the checkbox to "always trust," you will see this prompt each time you upload photos, videos, or a new icon.

Using video "embed code"
"Embed code" allows you to distribute a video shared on Gather on other websites that allow you to post HTML. To embed a video on another site, simply copy the HTML code from the "embed code" box and paste it on the new website. You can share videos created by other members, unless they are private. In that case, the embed code is only available to the member who shared the video. You can place Gather video embed code in posts if you use the HTML editing option when you create the post.

Fair Use rules for sharing videos
When sharing a portion of someone else's content, it must be for the purpose of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research, according to the United States Copyright Office. There's no clear definition of what constitutes Fair Use, but acknowledging the source of the copyrighted material is no substitution for obtaining permission. As a general guide, only use a small portion of video from another source, not the entire piece. Also, you must use the video as an addition to your own original content. You should familiarize yourself with the copyright laws to make sure you don't infringe on someone's rights.

For more information on Fair Use in copyright law, please check out the United States Copyright Office's Fair Use guide.

Editorial Policy

Gather's editorial policy
Gather's editorial policy is different from that of most media sites online. Our editors' job is not to edit the content before it's posted. Instead, they highlight the best of what the community rates and views to help the broader audience find the best, most interesting posts, photos, and other content. Gather's editors help maintain a healthy and constructive environment on the site. When a member of the Gather community flags content as inappropriate, the Gather Editorial Team makes sure the content has been rightfully flagged. Underlying all of this is a strong belief in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which allows you the freedom to say whatever's on your mind 24/7 on Gather.

To learn more, read the Gather User Terms of Service Agreement. Also, remember that you are responsible for everything you share on Gather, including any material that may be offensive or infringe upon the rights of others as is stated in the Gather User Terms of Service Agreement.

Content ownership
You create it? You own it. It's just that simple. Anything original you create and share on Gather is copyrighted by you as soon as you click Submit. By sharing content on Gather, you're giving Gather Serial Rights to your content. This basically means you're lending your content to Gather, who may use your content for marketing and related purposes -- but only as limited to Gather. For instance, you might see your writing featured in a weekly email promoting the content type you've shared. You can edit or delete any of your content at any time.

If you share content that's not your own, you must give proper attribution to the author. But don't just cite the author's name. You need to add a little something of your own. Introduce the piece or snippet of content and comment about why you think it's worth sharing. For more information on Fair Use in copyright law, please check out the United States Copyright Office's Fair Use guide.

Keep in mind that by sharing content online, your written word and photos fall under copyright law, so it's important that you educate yourself about its basic principles. For extensive information on copyright law, please see the United States Copyright Office's circular.

What can be shared on Gather
The First Amendment states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Free speech is what Gather is all about. Gather is a place where you can share just about anything you want: reviews, poetry, opinion, photos, advice. In regard to your own original content, what you can share is limited almost entirely by your imagination. Remember: if you're sharing a portion of someone else's work, make sure to give proper attribution and introduce and discuss the content you're presenting, in compliance with the standards of Fair Use.

Please be aware that there is certain material that Gather does not permit. Most prohibited content is due to United States or international treaty law, or is prohibited in order to keep the service usable for all members. Keep in mind that you are responsible for everything that you share on Gather, including any material that may be offensive or infringe on the rights of others as is stated in the Gather User Terms of Service Agreement.

Reported content
Gather members may report content to The Gather Editorial Team if they believe that the content is potentially inappropriate or violates Gather's Terms of Service. When reported, your content will show the statement: "This has been reported by the community as potentially inappropriate." Content with this flag has been reported for the reasons displayed and will not be available publicly on Gather until editorial review is complete. Gather's Editorial Team performs regular review of reported content to determine if it is in violation of Gather's Terms of Service.

Content restricted for TOS violations
Gather's Editorial Team performs regular review of reported content and if deemed in violation of Gather's Terms of Service, the content is blocked from view on Gather and can only be accessed by the member who shared it. When restricted, your content will show the statement 'This has been restricted by the Gather Editorial Team for violations of TOS.' You may edit your reported content to correct a violation or delete the content. To resolve reported content, please get in touch with us using our Contact Member Support form. Learn more here.

Gather's content supervision
Your contributions to Gather are not edited or censored. The Gather Editorial Team may add adult settings to your work if you haven't flagged it properly yourself. Gather also reserves the right to remove content or members who engage in any "inappropriate, defamatory, infringing, obscene, libelous, or unlawful content," or "restrict or inhibit any other user from using and enjoying Gather." Learn more in the full Gather User Terms of Service Agreement.

Tags

About tags on Gather
Think of tags as an index of all the content on Gather. You can click on tags to browse any content -- posts, photos, or videos -- they relate to. Just found a post you really liked? Click on one of its tags to find related information. Want more people to find your photos? Include tags that relate to its subject. See a fantastic video and want to know more? Use the tags to explore related content. Tags can be words or phrases; always make sure your tags are directly related to what you're sharing.

Editing tags
To add or delete tags after you've shared content, click "edit" from your post, photo, or video. On this edit page, you can update your tags. Once you've added your tags, scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save.

Choosing tags
Tags make it easy for members to search for content they have an interest in. Ask yourself what your content is really about. If you could describe your content in a handful of words, what would they be? Then choose those words that most closely describe it. Remember netiquette and do not tag spam.

Geotags
When sharing or editing a photo, you can set a geotag that identifies where it was taken. When a user sees your photo, a map showing the location will appear with it. Geotagging is a fun way to remember exactly where your vacation photos were taken or to share landmarks around your hometown. To set a geotag, provide your city, state, country, ZIP code, or other address to get started. Once the map displays the location you entered, you can move the pin to set the exact location.

Rating

Rating content on Gather
At the bottom of a post, photo, or video, just click "rate" and select the number of stars that correspond with your rating: 1-10, with 10 representing some of the best content you've seen. You can only rate each post, photo, or video once, and you're not able to change or remove your ratings.

Who can rate
Registered Gather members rate content on Gather. Any member who's signed in to Gather can rate content, but members are not allowed to rate their own work. Ratings are factored into the most popular lists that appear on the Explore landing page.

Changing ratings
Currently, there is no way to change a rating.

Knowing who rated my content
The rating system is anonymous, and each Gather member can only rate each piece once.

Improving my ratings
Members who share a lot of content often get better ratings and a higher readership overall. Why? Because when someone finds a post, photo, or video they like, they're inclined to seek other content by the same author. Also, the more you share, the more likely people are to see your content. So share often and you'll quickly build a following.

Another important factor in building your ratings and readership is your network. By adding friends on Gather and inviting your friends, family, and colleagues to join Gather, you'll become more visible and more popular on the site. Every time you contribute content, it will appear on the homepage of everyone in your network, and your friends on Gather will get an email reminding them of your new content (if they have their preferences set to receive it).

Restricting ratings
If you don't wish to allow ratings on your content, you can unselect this option when you share a post, photo, or video. But if you turn off the ability for others to rate your content, it can't be listed on the highest-rated content pages and won't be eligible for any Gather-sponsored contests.

Please be aware that you won't be able to change this setting later. This is Gather's policy in the interest of fairness, because members use ratings to suggest the site's best content, and these recommendations sometimes help determine contest winners.

Gather and Syndication

About RSS
Have you seen the acronym RSS, or the orange icon that looks like this ()? RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication, provides you with the ability to subscribe to content you like to read frequently, and contain that content in a "reader." The latest versions of all browsers, including Internet Explorer 7.0, Firefox 2, and Safari 2.0 have built-in RSS readers. Additionally, websites like Yahoo!, Google, MSN, Rojo, and others offer the ability to aggregate your RSS feeds on a single webpage. Instead of jumping from one bookmark to another, you can review new content from your favorite sources in your RSS reader.

Subscribing to RSS feeds on Gather
Gather allows you to subscribe to recent posts from your favorite authors and groups with the click of a button. Next to every list of recent posts, there is an orange button that looks like (). When you click on the button, a window opens that allows you to select how you want to read your feed. Here's a rundown of the options:

• To put your feed into your browser's RSS reader, click on the RSS icon. Choose the RSS reader you'd like to add to your subscriptions and follow the instructions. The feed will be saved as a bookmark, so you might want to create a special folder for your bookmarks called "My Subscriptions" and save your RSS links there
• Google Reader: Google has an RSS reader that is very simple and is connected to its popular email program. You can find out more about it at www.google.com/reader.
• My Yahoo!: Built into My Yahoo! is the ability to customize your homepage with any RSS feed. Your favorite Gather content can become part of your Yahoo! experience once you click on the My Yahoo! box.
• Newsgator: Newsgator is an RSS reader independent of a specific browser type, available at newsgator.com
• Bloglines: Bloglines offers a tool for creating a blog, or for incorporating the things you read via RSS into your blog. Visit www.bloglines.com.
• AOL: AOL has an RSS Feed Reader that lets you subscribe to the latest information from your favorite news sources, blogs, and other websites. It collects all the new headlines and summaries in one place so you don't have to hunt them down. Learn more at aol.com.

Submitting my RSS feed to Gather
Gather has a feature that enables individuals and media companies to use RSS feeds to automatically pick up content and share it on Gather. If you're interested in participating in this feature, please get in touch with us using our Contact Member Support form.

If you're a group owner, you can place an Inbound RSS module on your group homepage and designate which site to pull content from.

Bookmarking content to Digg, del.icio.us, and other sites
Bookmarking is a popular and effective way of organizing information on the web to make it more accessible. A bookmark is simply a link to an item on the web, along with information that helps the community categorize it. Social bookmarking sites like Digg and del.icio.us facilitate finding popular content by organizing these links topically or by counting the number of links to a particular item to show their popularity. Bookmarking high-quality content on Gather on these services helps others across the Internet find the best content by your fellow Gatherers more frequently. It helps our best authors reach a broader audience, as well.

We've added buttons to Gather content to make it easy to bookmark them on several of the major sites. To submit Gather content -- posts, photos, or videos -- to one of these sites, just click on the bookmark link located below the content and select the site you want. You'll be taken to a submission form on the site you've selected, where information for the content you want to bookmark may already be filled in. Simply complete the remainder of the form and the content will be bookmarked! Note that these sites require registration the first time you submit to them.

We ask all Gather users to be good netizens when submitting content to bookmarking sites. Please make sure the bookmarks you create are of general interest and good quality. Also, never submit any Gather content that has restricted access. This includes content marked adult, or content that is shared only with private groups or certain friend sets.

Linking to Gather content
You can link to any post, photo, or video on Gather by choosing the "link to this page" option, which lets you copy a permalink. A permalink is simply a web address, or URL, that will always point to that specific Gather content item, even as our site grows and changes. To obtain the permalink, right-click (control-click for Apple users) it, and select "Copy shortcut" (Internet Explorer), "Copy link location" (Firefox), or "Copy link" (Safari) from the menu.

Telling friends outside of Gather about content
There are several ways to share content with friends outside of Gather. When you share a photo album publicly or with your friend sets, you'll have an opportunity to invite friends and family who aren't on Gather to join and see the photos you've shared. You can invite friends and family to view any of your albums, posts, or videos shared publicly or to friend sets by clicking the "Invite your friends" link found when you are viewing your content. You can also email content by clicking "email," located below each piece of content, or by clicking "link to this content," then copying the URL and sending it to friends. When they follow the link to the URL, your friends will be brought to Gather to see the content you picked, provided it's public or they have permission to see it. Once on Gather, they can browse other content, as well. To share videos on other sites, simply click "embed code," copy the HTML, and paste it on another website. You can share videos created by other members, unless they're private. In that case, the embed code is only available to the member who shared the video.

Gather Earnings Program

About Gather Points™
Each member earns Gather Points™, which are Gather's thank you to members who create great experiences for others in the community. Each Gather Point has a value similar to a frequent flyer mile -- currently about $.02 per point.

Earning points

A portion of the Gather advertising revenue is returned to its members as Gather Points™. We use different algorithms to determine which individual user activities are creating community value. Most points are awarded to members who share content that proves valuable to the community. To protect against fraudulent activity we do not share the exact algorithm we use and we change it from time to time. To maximize your earnings, share great experiences in the form of posts, photos, or videos that are popular with other members and that even bring new people to Gather to participate.

Please note: Gather will turn-off all points earning for members that are found to regularly republish content that they do no own. We will do so without prior notification or warning. We reserve the right to remove points earned by members sharing content that does not belong to them as well.

Points expiration
Currently, Gather Points have no expiration date. We'll notify you in the future if that policy changes.

Becoming a Gather Points™ partner
Gather welcomes a variety of points partners. If you're interested in becoming Gather's latest addition, simply contact advertising@gather.com.

Donating my points to charity
We offer charities (registered 501c3 organizations) that are active on Gather the ability to accept points donations from members. We'll transform these points into cash for the charity, so that your school, church, soccer team, environmental group, public radio station, or other not-for-profit can grow just by joining and participating on Gather. For complete details, and/or if you know of a charity you'd like to recommend, please get in touch with us using our Contact Member Support form.

Donating my points to another member
It's not possible to donate your points to another member at this time. You may, however, donate your points to one of our affiliated charitable organizations.

Members outside of the United States
All members can earn points. Currently, Gather members who reside outside of the United States are unable to redeem Gather Points™ for gift cards or cash compensation. We are researching ways to broaden our earnings program to include all members, and aim to make it available for all members in the future. However, you will never lose points once you've earned them. So the points you earn now will be useful to you when we expand the program.

Gather Points™ Redemption

Redeeming Gather Points
Click the Gather Points link in the dashboard on your My Gather page. This will take you to earnings.gather.com, where you can redeem Gather Points™ for offers by designated Gather Points partners. Gather Points can be exchanged for gift certificates for goods from participating points partners or for a cash credit to your PayPal account. Keep trac