Sept.28 - I join gather.com to help out a friend, mentally thinking: "This better not generate more spam"
Oct. 26 - I proudly publish my first article, an entry for the "Room For Improvement" contest. Strangers are now asking to be my "friend", wanting to "connect" with me and generously praising my article! I'm a writer after all! Recognized at last!
Oct. 26 - 13 points. I check the gather site several times, bookmarking my article, obsessively checking to see if I'm still in "first place". I learn about gather points. Kewl! I post a bunch of other articles that I've written and invite a bunch of friends to join.
Oct. 27 - 215 points. Wow, these points are great! Real friends, Andy and Lisa, have joined and are participating, but they don't even have 50 points yet. Well, I DID take that writing class last year.
Oct. 28 - 508 points. I'm determined to get 3000 points in a month, which should be a piece of cake, for me, "the writer", but I need to figure out exactly how these points are generated. I notice that many people write short things like questions that get lots of responses. Hmmmm. I post my own questions out there trying to figure out how one acquires points. I hope my question about how to get points is generating points. Is it quantity or quality?
Oct. 29 - 728 points. Kevin V. answers my questions. He's very helpful! And I think he loves me because he always signs his name with a heart when he writes to me.
Oct. 30 - 909 points. I love gather. It's so easy to get points. And I have lots of "friends" now. Even Kevin, my new secret admirer, is my "friend"...but I'm sure he wants more.
Nov. 01 - 1525 points. More than half-way to my goal in only a week! Yes, I've been a little distracted from work and I haven't done my usual exercise, but it's worth it! I really know how to work this system! Everyone wants to read my stuff!
Nov. 02 - 1599 points. I post an unrelated article to "Gather Help Forum", thinking that Kevin, owner of that group, would certainly allow ANYTHING from me, his new love. But...no! The article is unceremoniously denied from that group! Kevin! How could you?
Nov. 03 - 1625 points. There must be something wrong with the point system. My "Room For Improvement" article is no longer the featured article in that group. I go through a convoluted series of screens to determine that my article rating is still high so I manage to squelch the urge to bring down the other contestants averages by rating them '1's.
Nov. 04 - 1665 points. Desperate for points, I post a simple question about names. 15 responses! The most I've gotten yet! That's bound to bring in at least a 100 pointeroos.
Nov. 05 - 1673 points. My multi-response theory does not seem to have panned out. I wonder if Kevin rigged the system once he saw how many other "friends" I was getting. Karran has found me and she builds my ego up. But what about all my other so-called "friends"? They were just USING me to get connections!
Nov. 06 - 1682 points. There's a message from Tom about a problem with point distribution. Um, Tom, I think you should check what happened around Nov.1. And, between you and me, I'm thinking Kevin's behind it. He clearly has all KINDS of tricks up those white lab coat sleeves!
Nov. 07 - 1684 points. Unwilling to be discouraged, I read through all the articles in "Completely Shameless Point Whoring", "Unofficial Gatheraholics", "Gather Help Forum", "Who's Who on Gather", "Member Guides to Gather", and "Make Love Happen", and plan my attack. (Once I know "Who's who" I'll "make love happen".)
Nov. 25 - 3001 points. I DID IT! It doesn't matter that I got fired because now I can earn my living on Gather.com!
Nov. 26 - 3002 points. I'm informed that you must acquire 3000 points in a CALENDAR month to qualify for the cash program. The points I earned in October don't count.
Nov. 27 - 3003 points I start a new group, "Gatheraholics On The Street". Hey...as long as I can find a street corner that has WIFI, I'm set.
Note for Kevin V: I'm not sure this article will be considered appropriate content for the "Gather Help Forum" but....you know I gotta try for those points! If you bump me I'll understand and you'll still be my FAVORITE gather member. (And maybe you can rig that system in my favor. ;-))
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Comments: 13
I did remove this article from the 'Member Guides to Gather' group, but I think I will make a HUGE exception by allowing this to remain in the 'Gather Help Forum'.... simply because I love the entry for October 29...!
Shhhh.... you are the only one I use the heart for (don't tell anyone).
sooooo confused!
Wait a minute... Kevin is trolling for babes on Gather? And he caught YOU? Talk about Shameless Point Whore Hussy!
Although it's discouraging to think you can be as active as you describe, Wendy, and only have 2000 points after 2 months, I guess it's good to get a gauge. Maybe my 3000 in a month goal was unrealistic now that I've faced the reality of how difficult points REALLY are to gather. I'm glad I found out now before I really did lose my job! It's still fun to read and write, but perhaps time to give up the obsession with points!
And one last point (pun intended). I know Kevin doesn't work at Gather, but he seems to know all the tricks and he has a thing for me (don't worry, Kevin, I won't tell anyone else about the heart), so I am working on my strategy to get him to hack into that point system for me.
Um, Joanne... I'm not sure I like your TONE (which I can hear thanks to that little musical note that you always include). Are you implying with your capitilized YOU, that I am not a BABE? Let me just tell you that babe's are in the eyes of the beholder. Kevin clearly is attracted to helpless gatherers who ask lots of questions and are searching for points. I don't want to give away all my secrets, but perhaps you should read more in the "Make Love Happen" group to understand more about seducing who's who on gather... ;-)
BTW, I'm having a hard time responding to this article, too! KEVIN! HELP!
I'm afraid I have yet to read all those groups I mentioned in my diary, but I'll be working on that tonight and I'll see if I can figure out some other great point whoring==ahem, I mean point scoring==techniques!
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976798244
Additionally, your excellent kissup technique makes you a prime candidate for membership in the "Psychopants and Tushiemunchers" group. Do check it out... I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the size and quality of its membership.
BTW, when you update your diary after you hit 3K in a month and convert to cash - be sure to include a month of starvation while awaiting that first check! ( ;