A suggestion for a Gather welcome letter to new...

I would like to see an email generated to each new member that signs up to www.gather.com. This would be an introductory and roadmap of the site for these new members to learn how to navigate the site.

This could reference how to sign up for email newsletters, links to gather specific groups on how the site works, links to the help/faqs and how to change your settings.

I would think this would be easy to set up, similar to what group owners do on yahoo that sends out a welcome letter and helpful links to new members once they join a yahoo group.

Along the same premise I would like to see a similar welcome letter generated to all new group owners. This would go to the address registered from the newly created group's owner.

This email could list helpful links on gather group maintenance, how to delete off-topic content, ban a member and how to set up another ember to moderate a group.

Comments: 12

William M. Sep 20, 2006, 7:17pm EDT

That sounds like a good idea to me.

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LittleMissSunshine - Shel & Barney Rule L. Sep 20, 2006, 7:18pm EDT

Yes, I wish I'd seen one like that when I signed up.

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Janet Somewhere Up On The Mount Sep 20, 2006, 7:21pm EDT

I could still use it LOL

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Susan *. Sep 20, 2006, 7:25pm EDT

I'm with Janet...a little direction never comes amiss! LOL

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Kevin (''The SiteWizard'') V. Sep 20, 2006, 7:36pm EDT

Bonnie,

I know from personal experience that this type of email would have a dramatic positive impact on new members, and new group owners. For a period of time, I was sending an automated Gather mail message to all new members within a short time after they joined (about 24 to 48 hours, or less). This message linked new members to my "Insider's Guide to Gather". I was able to reach approximately 6,000 new members in this way. I then deleted the guide, and replaced it as the comments grew, to assist those members on dial-up. Reaction from new members was overwhelmingly enthusiastic.

I still have a distribution list and the messages I submitted to new group owners, and I have been thinking about revisiting this.

These suggestions have been made to Gather several times. However, like everything else, they are on a 'to-do' list somewhere. All we can do is keep trying to push them to the top of the list.

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Amy just hangin' out M. Sep 20, 2006, 7:42pm EDT

Another good idea.

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Kevin (''The SiteWizard'') V. Sep 20, 2006, 7:42pm EDT

Ultimately, this type of message should be received immediately upon sign-up. However, this needs to be balanced with all of the other information new members receive. Many new members get 'turned off' by a perceived flood of information, messages and connection requests, sometimes within minutes of joining! That is why I stopped sending out messages.

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