Group FAQs

Here are a list of common questions you may have about Gather Groups:

What are groups?
Want to connect in a whole new way? Groups are a centralized, shared space for members to publish articles and images with a common theme or for a common purpose. A group can be anything from a fan club to a writers' workshop to a college alumni society. 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 publish articles or images to the group only or make content accessible to everyone.

How do I find a group I'm interested in?
Search on the Gather Groups page for the kinds of things that interest you, and you're sure to find a group or several that you'd like to join.

How do I join a group?
After you've found a group you'd like to join, click its name to go to the group's homepage. You'll see the Join This Group link on the right side of the page under the profile information. If the group membership is moderated, your membership request will be sent to the group owner and 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.

How can I create a group?
Simply click any Create a Group module or link. The Group creation page is straightforward and easy to use. Give your group a name, a unique username, and a brief synopsis, and list a few tags so others can find you. We recommend that you also give your group a description and a group icon to spark interest in potential members.

Who can post to a group?
A group's owner (who is also the group creator) has full group permissions. The owner determines who can post, who the moderators will be, and what specific permissions the moderators will be given (accepting/declining members, accepting/declining content, etc.) The owner can structure the group so that only certain group members can post, or so that any group member can post.

How do I invite others to a group?
If you're the owner of a group or a group member with permission to invite, your groups dashboard on the right side of the group homepage will have an Invite Members link under the list of your groups. You'll be able to invite current Gather members to your group and also email group invitations to people who are not yet Gather members. And you'll earn Gather Points for recruiting new people to sign up.

How do I publish to a group?
Posting an article or image to a group is just like posting content to the rest of the Gather community. The only difference? You first must have permission to publish to the group. If you do, click on the Publish an Article or Publish an Image link in the upper left-hand corner of the group's homepage to begin.

What can I do in a group?
Group permissions vary per group, and they're all determined by the group owner. Many groups allow all members to publish articles and images, see all content, and comment on each other's work. Some 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. But again, all permissions are assigned on a group-by-group basis. Always contact the group owner if you have questions or concerns.

How do I remove content from a group, but keep it in my articles list?
If you'd like to remove an article or image you've published to a group but keep the content on Gather, you can change the article's publishing settings. Simply click the edit link next to your name on your article or images page. Scroll down and click Next on the Edit Your Article page. On the following page, you may remove any or all groups from the share list. Make sure you click Publish to save your changes.

How can I find specific group content?
After searching and finding the group you're looking for, click the group name to find that group's homepage. Scroll down to find the group's featured articles, recent articles, and recent images. If you're not a group member, you may not have access to all of the group's content.

Do articles and images that I post to a group belong to me or the group?
Everything you publish on Gather (as long as it's yours to begin with) remains yours. The owner of a group may remove an article or image from the group as he or she sees fit, but any content a group deletes will still be available in the list of content on your namespace.

I received an email that my article/image has been removed from the group. Why did that happen?
The owner or designated moderator of a group may remove an article or image from the group, but it will still be available under your own namespace. If you have any questions about a particular group's publishing policies, always contact the group owner.

I tried publishing an article or image to a group and got a message that said it was rejected. Why did that happen?
Some groups are moderated, which means all content submitted to the group is reviewed by a moderator or the owner before it can be published. If rejected by a group, your article or image can still be published to the entire Gather community, where it will appear in the content on your namespace. To learn about a group's publishing policies, please contact the group's owner.

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

What's the difference between an owner and a moderator?
A group's owner is the creator of the group and has control over all aspects of the group. A moderator is a member who has been given permission by the owner to accept, reject, and/or delete group content and/or moderate group membership.

Can I invite someone to a group even if I'm not the owner?
That depends. Many groups allow their members to invite new members, and that's the default setting. In the My Dashboard that appears when you're on a groups page, you'll see an Invite Members link if you've been given permission to invite others.

Can I send a message to everyone in a group that I'm in?
If you've been given permission to do so by the group owner, then yes, you can send a private message to everyone if you are a member of that group.

Can I post an article or image so that only group members can see it?
Sure. When you publish content to a group, you can set the viewing options so that only group members can view it. This option appears in the second step of the publishing process: click the edit link, then click Next at the bottom of the page; viewing options can be selected on the following page.

How can I find images posted in a certain group?
Click on the group name to find the group's homepage. Scroll down to find the Recent Group Images section. To see all of a group's images simply click on the "view all" link.

Do I still earn Gather Points? when I publish something to a group?
Yes. Publishing to a group earns you valuable Gather Points? in the same way that publishing content to your own namespace does. Groups cannot earn Gather Points at this time.

________________________________________________________

David Woodrow is Vice President, Groups at Gather