Well, it has been more than 48 hours since the New Gather arrived.
The first 24 hours or so saw 600 new articles; the next 24 hours saw only about 180 new articles published.
When I published an article on July 14 at midnight, it was on page 2215. 26 hours later, the new articles were on page 2245.
Now, 24 hours later still, new articles are published on page 2253.
That's 8 pages more new articles published over 24 hours earlier. At 20 articles per page, that is only 180 new articles published during New Gather Day 2.
Few articles have comments .
Some Gatherers have noticed icons not showing in the comment function.
Earlier today Joshua Unseth mentioned his points were not increasing as they had been before New Gather.
I've only been able to click through to My Gather once since New Gather arrived, so I don't know if I've got new points or not.
Is everybody getting read? Doesn't look like it.
Is everybody getting comments? Doesn't look like it.
Is everybody getting points?
It looks like there are a couple of other articles about the New Gather, tonight.
We would rather write about things that move us.
The fact is, the New Gather does move us - not in poetic, lyrical, dramatic ways, but in other earthshaking ways.
It is hampering our Gather experience.
True, we can search new Articles easily. But each page of Articles only has 20 articles.
Once each page has passed, any hope of being read quickly diminishes.
There is no left margin that mentions articles in our network. No left margin with Recommended Articles. No left margin with Recent Articles.
All of these articles were one click away from being read.
Now, we have to go to My Gather, to Articles, or to Articles/By Me in order to find articles.
I suspect that points are very stable, right now. Something tells me neither Gather members nor Gather staff want this.
The left margin is pretty empty, right now.
I think we've learned that some of the plethora of white space is for advertising. This is a good thing.
The left margin seems to remain unused, and would serve a much-needed purpose if the contents of it (as we knew and loved it) were to return.
Speaking of elements we know and love 'returning,' I just returned from "Superman Returns." What fun.
Where is that man of steel when we need him most?
Will he swoop down from the sky and save Gather?
rate
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 68
Since you gave me this link, I'll respond to your comment back to me on this your new article.
As far as new articles being published, could be temporary as people become familiar with the new layout. Not everyone is comfortable with change, or willing to test it out. I'm one of those that will try everything, I love challenge.
After being away from Gather for some time, I came back to see this new layout and found it much easier to pick and choose who and what I wanted to read without being barraged by inflammatory articles about you, Mo, or Johnny. I also like that I can be selective about the images I want to view or comment on.
I was honestly embarrassed to recommend this site to people before, and now there is some hope that quality will rise to the surface and the ugliness will be buried where it belongs. Those who wish to partake in the ugliness can have their "freedom" to trash others and make unsubstantiated comments about people they know nothing about, without the rest of us having to constantly view that type of garbage! Same with the images.
Well it's been fun, but I'm probably going to slip back into oblivion for a while again. Although, I will continue to seek out you and the others I enjoy reading from time to time!
As for the 'slow' publication rate, how does this weekend compare to previous weekends? I think we need to compare days of the week if the numbers are to mean anything. I'm not sure it is 'our' job to monitor that, but we all have access to the same information if we want to look at it.
Alphabetical by author's first name:
Allen Bundy's article:
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976767287
Clair D's article:
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976767339
Jake S.'s article:
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976767308
Joshua Unseth's article:
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976767341
Lloyd M.'s article:
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976767326
Kathryn Esplin-Oleski's article
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976767364
Nancy Spivey's article:
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976767332
Important article on Gather, by Christopher Bell. Relates to Tolerance
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976767296
I think Gather is no longer CUTHROAT. This is an EXCELLENT change. That brought out so much ugliness, as people have hinted at.
I do miss the left margin. Bonnie, the ugly articles in the left margin were a reflection of either Recommended Articles that were mainly the 'controversial' articles or controversial articles appearing in Network Activity.
I think the removal of top contributors plays a LARGE part in a more peaceful, qualititative, less CUTHROAT Gather.
At least I hope so.
But I think it would be SO Much easier to have some form of the left margin return.
Clark Kent, are you listening? This is Lois Lane speaking.
I would appreciate having fewer clicks to get to new articles, as well as to articles in my network.
As you can imagine, some days I go through a lot of other people's articles, by choice, because I want to find out what is going on.
I have NO idea of how many or how few people had zero or few commnets before, because searching was rather helter-skelter, and this is an improvement in that respect.
Tom mentioned in his article that the new Andre version is more extensible. That is good.
Already Juliet's head has been replaced (Gather did this) and Gather has fixed some of the other Icons I heard about, too.
My guess is that Gather only had to reset the tolerances back to what they were before for Icon sizing.
I did check my points. They seem fine.
Categories and sub categories is a good solution.
A good thing, E.B. !
I've known on other days at various times (sometimes good weather related, perhaps) that volume seemed to be down. This was also sometimes cross checkable by looking at total number of comments written for example in a day...One day, I think the highest number of comments written on other articles by one person (not me) was 50. That told me that the volume was down. Because on that day ( a few weeks ago) I had written the second highest number of comments on other people's articles and I was hardly online that day, being at work most of the time.
As far as images, upload images you want to store and keep them on your homepage.
If you upload images for an article, that is only for use during the publishing process.
Of course, you can upload an image for an article (that is the same image you already have on your homepage).
The uploading has to come from your stored image, stored on your harddrive. I don't think it can come from your homepage, though I could be mistaken about that.
You often mention that your articles are truly 'first drafts' and not a finished product. In fairness to your readers, I think you should flag your articles first draft - unverified. This is two situations recently (new Gather, and Dr. Oza) where you have insinuated something very negative about Gather, without researching the facts first. I don't think that is fair to Gather, or to your readers.
You misrepresent what I said Sandy about my writing. I said that what I have written is not a finished product in the sense that I will send it out for publication as is.
I always rewrite my material later for specific audiences. What I write here is specifically for the Gather audience.
Without mainstream tags, I am disadvantaged. Of course those I am connected to can find me but newcomers virtually have to stumble over my work.
I could abandon creative writing and switch to straight out blogging but am loathe to do so. Not that I've got anything against blogging, but my 'things' are short stories and poetry.
My point is that the tags should have a balance.
Magi
First, during the early morning of July 14, you publish this article.
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976766882
Then, at 6:51 p.m. the same day, you publish the exact same article again, with no indication to the reader that this was not a first time publication but actually a republish.
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976767102
The chronological listing of all articles and comments is excellent. For easy navigation of these lists, there needs to be another "Go to Page_" button in addition to "First/Previous/Next Page" buttons.
Marcia T., I hated that in the past, too, believe me. It was not something I chose nor ever wanted. I'm so glad that is now gone.
I have noticed over the past few weeks (since Summer arrived) that the number of article and readership on weekends decreases. I think we just have people finding other things to do.
I tend to get comfortable w a format, and when it changes it does create some disincentive to participate, as there's time and effort involved in sorting through how it's now working...not really how I want to be spending my time. Thanks for a good article on this.
I hate having to sign in several times a day, especially when Gather already *knows* it's me by the fact that it gives me the option to delete only my comments.
Bill, I hadn't noticed a change in that regard. I never did like that it timed me out. But the old Gather would make me re-sign in again after a period of inactivity.
Sandy- you should be getting a little green envelope in the upper right hand corner when you have mail. I think if you change your screen resolution it will all fit fine.
Then, people have to make a deliberate search of articles, page by page, or search for specific authors.
I'm not inactive for any period of time, actually. When I'm on, I'm active. Though, when I am inactive, I like to leave my window minimized, though someone frequently closes it, here at home. With my Gather window minimzed, if I've been away, I'm not sure if I have to sign in again.
Previously, in the winter, I had to sign in for each Email notification. That was a real nuisance. That does not happen now.
When I check the list of Articles pubished, I see a lot of people who aren't making it into the Email notifications, meaning that a lot of people are not commenting on the NEW PEOPLE.
;-)
I've gotten four connection requests so far today, so I'm going find on that end.
I seem to be getting the same amount of points too, though I can't say for sure as they switched me to cash at the same time as the change. But from my calculations, I'm doing just as well with the new Gather as with the old.
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976767296
Don't know why it couldn't be located earlier.
Some people made a recommendation for additional tags on Candida's article, recommending humor, random musings, poetry and fiction, as necessary additions to the tag system.
As to articles you edited "Just for Me" - I have no experience with that, but you could email the contact info . It is either at the gather.com location or the contact info, bottom of this page.
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976767000
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976767296
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976767296
People have different philosophies when rating. I usually rate everything I read a 10. Some people have a very strict definition of what they consider a 10.
Ever since I've been here (6 months) malicious 1-raters have flown by rating articles a 1, thereby lowering a person's rating.
The ratings are used by Gather to promote quality articles.
The highest rated articles are also used in the "highest rated" scale that you can get to when you click "Articles" tab, then "most read" highest rated" "most discussed."
So many people are getting stuck with 1s by malicious bombers. I find a rating useless.
The number of comments is useless, also, to determine a better article over one that is of lower quality. Pretty much everyone has their favorite writers.
When it comes to finding new people, just read what you think you'll like and stick with those you do like.
I personally hate it when the commend thread devolves or is hijacked maliciously. It has happened to my articles quite a number of times.