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, in the My Gather menu, choose My Profile 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 going to the My Gather menu and choosing My Profile.
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.
|
