An 'Insiders' Guide to Gather (Updated)

This article is meant as a guide for all newer members to Gather, and is broken into sections, in a question and answer format.  This will (hopefully!) allow you to spend your time reading only the information that you are most interested in.  


What is Gather really?

Gather can be a place to just hang out and read great writing, laugh at an amusing story, find a recipe, learn a new skill, or view interesting photos.  You can also easily publish your own material, comment on the work of others, join a group, or even start your own group if you like.  You can do it all very easily, for free, with just a few clicks of your mouse!

My take: Gather is a great community for sharing, interacting, learning, writing, and reading.  It has been referred to fairly accurately as a 'MySpace' for intelligent adults of all ages.


How can Gather benefit me?

Well, there are too many ways to list them all here.  But, you can promote your own writing, blog, website, photography, art, hobby, activity, or group on Gather.  You can also learn lots of great stuff, pick up new skills, and get to know many interesting people..... and, earn money, gift cards, and other promotional items while you're doing it!

My take: Gather can be a wonderful resource for gaining feedback on your writing, or for promoting yourself, your blog, business, club, or other interests.  However, there is so much to read and interact upon here, you can easily get sidetracked, and even find yourself becoming a bit addicted! 

I recommend that you really think about what your goals are for Gather, and periodically evaluate the time you are spending on certain tasks against these goals....and also get out in the sun once in while!  


What is an 'Article'?

An article is the Gather term for a document, story, blog entry, poem, and anything else that you write on Gather.  Photographs, drawings and other artwork are referred to as 'images'.  


What are the 'basics' for making Gather work for me?

That depends upon what you want to do.  

If you are just interested in browsing for now, then I would suggest taking some time and scanning the Featured, Most Read, Most Discussed, and Highest Rated articles and images, on Gather's 'Articles' and 'Images' tabs.  Also, check out the Gather Home Page, as special content is highlighted and changes regularly. 

Many articles and images are published to Gather Groups, which are collections of similar content.  You can take a look at the categorized alphabetical listing of Gather Groups in the Gather Group Directory, and see what public groups are available to join, or to view.  In addition, you can perform a limited search for groups, and view many popular choices for Gather groups under the 'Groups' tab. Either join a group that interests you, or just read the articles in that group. 

To learn more about the breadth of material available on Gather, and for tips on interacting on the site, view the articles in the group, 'The Editor's Desktop'.  This group contains articles written by the Gather Editorial Staff, and highlights various aspects of Gather's content and user community.  

You can always get more involved by commenting on any article or image that interests you.  Gather members LOVE comments, so feel free to just say hello, ask a question, or even to provide your own viewpoint.  It is all welcome here.  
  
If you just want to dabble at writing, or really strive to become a serious writer, you will find that Gather easily accommodates everyone's skill level.  There are also groups that can help you become a better writer, or even give you advice on how to get published.  You can also choose to keep some writing private, like a personal diary or journal.    

In addition, if you have a blog, or a website, then you can potentially increase your traffic by publishing some excerpts from it on Gather, and including the URL (web address) so that members can find your site easily.    

My take:  Gather can be quite intimidating at first.  Many new members (and even some experienced ones), develop a mistaken impression that Gather is tailored for the serious writer.  This isn't true!    Anyone can find a place here ...the homemaker that wants to share recipes ...the retired auto worker that loves poetry ...the High School student who digs podcasting and loves to talk about it ...as well as the aspiring writer, photographer or artist.  The key is knowing where to go, and the best way to get there.
 

What are groups?

Groups on Gather are collections of people, images and articles that pertain to a particular subject.  There are hundreds of groups on Gather covering a wide range of interests.


How do I find groups?

The official 'Find Groups' function on Gather is being redesigned.  Currently, you can only search for groups by keyword or phrase.  This will search for all group information that matches your search terms.  You can also try searching for specific groups of interest through a 'tag' search instead, or by viewing the varied group listings under the 'Groups' tab.

There is also the categorized Gather Group Directory, which is an alphabetical listing of many Gather Groups sorted by genre (although this listing is currently out of date).


Should I join a group?

Absolutely.  This is a great way to 'get your feet wet' on Gather.  Like everything else, joining is free and very simple.  

My take:  It is very difficult to get your writing or images noticed without publishing to one or more groups.  You may publish an image or article to multiple groups at the same time, and you can join as many groups as you wish.  I would recommend starting out with a few groups first, and then expand.  Read through some of the articles in the group before publishing, as some groups are very active (new articles added every day), and some are less active.  This activity level may impact the ability for other members to see your article or image (too many per day and yours can easily get lost, while too few MAY be an indication that the group is no longer active).

In addition, if you can't find a group that matches your particular interest, you can always start one yourself.  Creating a group, like everything else on Gather, is quick and easy.

For more information on starting, promoting and managing a group on Gather, please visit the Gather Group Management 101 group.


What are 'Connections'?

Connections are a means for you to keep up with the work of writers or photographers that you enjoy.  They also can then keep up with your work, if you choose to publish anything.  Once you are connected, you have a variety of options for then being updated when your connection publishes something.     

Sometimes you will receive a connection request from someone you don't know.  This happens either because they enjoy something you have written, or if you are a new member, they want to establish a connection to you so that they will know when you do.  Connections can be a good thing, especially when you are starting out.  As you become more experienced on Gather, you will become more selective with whom you connect to, as sometimes having too many connections can make it difficult to keep up.    

My take:  Most members love to connect, so don't be concerned about connecting to someone you don't know.  If you like their writing, or just their sense of humor, then connect to them.  This will allow you to easily keep up with what they publish or comment on.  Start out with a few, and see how it goes.  However, make certain that you check your email settings on your 'preferences' page.  You may want to receive an email when your connections publish something, but not every time they itch their nose.  Many new members get swamped with new email...so check your settings right away.


Do I need Connections?

Connections are not necessary, but very useful.  Especially if you are going to publish anything on Gather that you would eventually like others to read.    

My take:  Some members establish connections with so many people that it is impossible for them to reciprocate and take the time to read, or view, your articles or images.  They do this because it benefits them, but not you.  If you connect with someone, try to stop by and see their work once in awhile, and make a comment.  That's what makes Gather a real community.


How do I make Connections?

This is very simple.  On almost every page that displays the article or image of a member (like the page you are on right now), there will be an indication as to whether you are connected to this member or not.  If you are not, you will see a link to become connected.  You then must select the type of connection they are to be.....friend, family or acquaintance.  

For example, on the upper left side of this article, you will see my image icon.  Under this icon you can read my profile, see my images or articles, or connect to me....even send me a message!    

My take: Unless you know the member you are connecting with personally, I would recommend selecting 'Colleague' to start.  You can always change this later.


What are Gather Points?

Gather Points are points you earn as you use Gather.  When you have accumulated enough points, they can be redeemed for cash, gift cards or other rewards.  For more information, go here.    

My take:  I wouldn't pay attention to the points at first.  Otherwise you may end up being discouraged at how slowly they will accumulate.  Focus on reading, commenting, writing, sharing and rating.  Soon your points will increase, and as you get more involved in the community, the points may actually end up being worth something.


How do I earn Gather Points?

You earn points as you spend time on Gather.  The more you read or publish, comment, connect, and interact, the more points you gain.  Each person will earn points differently depending upon how they use the system and interact with the community.


Ok, I am ready to write something.  What do I do?

Well, you can publish in several ways here.  You can publish privately (only to yourself), to a specific group, just to your 'connections', or to everyone on Gather.  Publishing to everyone simply means that everyone can read what you wrote, if they know about it, or run across it somehow.  Once you publish something, it is then up to you to get it noticed.  Be patient, as it can take time to develop a regular readership.  That is where connections are useful.

It is helpful to review the available groups on Gather, and to identify which of the groups are associated with what you want to write.  You must join a group (just a simple click!), in order to publish to it.  This will help get your writing noticed more easily.  However, please try to make certain that your writing is related to the group.  This will help you get your writing in front of the members that would be most interested in what you have to say.    

Once you have identified whom you are going to publish to, and joined the group(s) relating to your writing, you are then ready to start!


How do I get others to view and comment on what I publish?

All new content published to the community is listed upon the 'Articles' or 'Images' page.  However, with the large quantity of content added to Gather every day, your article or image may not stay near the top of the stack for long.  However, it is usually long enough for someone to notice.  Choosing a catchy article title may be one way to increase your chances of getting read.  For additional guidance, the 'Editor's Desktop' group has a good article or two on how to make your writing stand out from the crowd.  

My take:  Don't be discouraged if you don't get comments right away, or only get a few.  As I state above, it will take a little time to get your work noticed.  Use that time to improve your work, and publish more.  Comment on the work of others, and connect with them.  Your connections will (or should) stop in occasionally and comment on your stuff.  Then, their connections will see whom they comment on, and they will stop by to say hello too.  It just takes a little time, and sometimes, a kind or constructive word here or there.  Don't hesitate to ask questions.


What are ratings?

Ratings are used to identify how well you liked the person's article, or image.   Authors love good ratings (of course!), and rating an article is strongly encouraged.  Rating is done on a 10 point scale...with 1 being the lowest (poor), and 10 being the highest (excellent).  Was the article helpful to you?, informative?, entertaining, amusing? inspiring?  Well let the author, and the community, know by selecting a rating.  If an article or image receives enough high ratings, it will appear for a time on the 'Highest Rated' page, under the 'Articles' or 'Images' tabs.  This is a good way to spot what other members think is the best stuff on Gather today.    

My take:  I always try to rate an article on the quality of the writing, or how well I enjoyed what was written.  Even if I disagree with the viewpoint of the author (like on a political opinion piece), I don't give the article a low rating simply because of the opinions the author expressed.


What are 'tags'?

Tags are keywords which can be used to label all content on Gather.  They are an integral part of the publishing and search process. 


Should I use tags?

Yes!  Using tags allows members to search for your content more efficiently.  This means that more members will find what your publish!  Tags are very useful for identifying search terms that you may not also have written within your article.  For example, an article about restoring an old automobile, can use tags like 'jalopy' or 'clunker', which are words you may not actually have included within your article.  This provides you with a greater opportunity for members to find your article, as some may use different words to describe the same thing. The more applicable tags you use, the better your chances of reaching more members looking for that type of content.   


When should I use tags, and how?     

Tags are entered at the time you publish, or edit an article.  You may enter any tag you like, but be certain that it relates to the article.  Also, it is helpful to include all word forms for a tag.  For example, if you are publishing a poem, you should include poem, poetry, and poems as tags.  Stories about cats could include cat, cats, kitten, kittens, and kitty as possible tags.

My take:  Do a few test searches for articles.  Look at the tags used for those articles.  You can learn a lot from following the experiences of others.  However, make certain you do not include off-topic tags, or tags that really don't match your content.  This can  make it more difficult to get your article or image seen.


How do I find other things of interest to me?

You can do a search using the 'Search Articles' box at the top of almost all pages on Gather.  Enter any search term you may be interested in.  Separate multiple words with operands like AND, or commas.  Multi-word search terms require double quotation marks.  For example, to search for articles relating to the Golden Gate Bridge, you must enter "golden gate bridge" or tag:"golden gate bridge".  

If searching for specific tags, you must precede the tag by the word 'tag'.  For example, to search for all articles with a tag of 'internet', you must enter tag:internet in the search box at the top of the page.


Are there other places I can go to get help?

Yes!  You may obtain a list of other help resources and information here. 

You will also find the Member Help Forum especially useful.  If you ever have a question about Gather, simply post the question to the group, and other members will respond!  See the featured article in the group for specific directions.  It is a quick and easy way to get all of your questions answered.


Will you be my guide?

Of course!  Please feel free to send me a message, or connect to me.  You may do both in the upper left side of this page, under my image icon.  I will be happy to help in any way that I can. 

You may also comment in the space below.  Don't be shy…I would love to hear from you!   

Thanks, and Welcome to Gather!!!