Gather "Competition"

      Today marks the end of the "Triple" points bonus being handed out on Gather as a "reward for participating"...and there have been many who have tried their hands at "picking up their fair share"; some doing whatever they could to cash in and opt out of recieving gift cards, instead, going for the money, honey.  I was lucky enough to be able to take that route upon starting to write here.  I developed my own system of generating interest...writing.  For the most part, I publish a couple of articles each day and try to come up with something that will appeal to the reader.  While I've met with some success up to this point, it seems my efforts are falling by the wayside lately.  I no longer can "compete" and keep up the same pace I've grown accustomed to.

      I attempt to create entertaining, and for the most part, humorous stories that make others laugh...or at least put a smile on the faces of some.  The "competition" comes into play in that I can't produce the volume of articles that some are publishing.  In taking up to a couple of hours time writing for each of my posts, I simply don't have it in me to come up with 20 stories a day...not even 10...or 5.  At least not being of decent quality.  I'm not saying I'm a great writer, as I'm so new to expressing ideas through the written word.  I take a little pride in knowing I'm making an honest attempt based upon my experience level and abilities.  If I were to even try putting out that much writing; I know the results I came up with would surely suffer.  There's just no way I'm even going to try and keep up.

      I've been seeing others advising to take a look at what and who are in the Top 25 Highest Rated, Most Viewed and Most Discussed...nothing and no one in the higher end of the rankings are worth looking at; let alone reading.  People are starting to agree with that assessment.  That kind of reflects on me and what I write.  Being listed consistantly in the upper end of the rankings categories; I'm being told I'm no longer worth reading...which means you're being told you're wasting your time in checking out what I create.  I'm not worth reading...and I can't keep pace with a dozen posts or more a day.  Maybe it's time for me to step back and let things slide; begin a downward spiral and not even bother because I can't continue with the success I've attained in the past here...the few seconds I have left with my "15 minutes of fame" are ticking by rapidly and will soon be expired. 

      I could lower the quality of my content and pump out mass amounts of articles.  I could continue as I am now and let myself drop through the rankings.  I guess that would make me worthy of being read again...not being in the Top 25...though I wouldn't be doing anything different.  Will the volume continue once "Triple" points pass or will things return to the status they were before "bonus days" came along?  I don't have the answer and only time will tell.  In the meantime, will I just be wasting my efforts if others are being encouraged to look elsewhere for any resemblance of intelligence?  Maybe I should just go sit in a corner and let everyone else have at it.  I have been told I need to give others a chance.  Here's their chance.

      Just one question I have for all of you...Which corner do you think I should go sit in?  One answer per comment please......