"Payback"??

I try to comment on something for everyone at least once in a day if they post, but mostly I go by what I am interested in doing or reading. If I have a connection that is needing points, I have been known to go through their past pictures for them and comment, because I love pictures. I can only do what I know people like. If somebody chooses to disconnect with me, I am sorry. I am on here a lot, but if I commented on every one of my connections, I would never have time to eat, shower, or write. I make sure I get to see as much as I can, so I can leave SINCERE comments on things. I don't usually leave "generic" comments on things. Sometimes I comment too much>LOL (this comment for example...LOL)

I have it so that when any of "my people" write an article I get an e-mail and I try my best to go to all the ones (about 95% of them) that interest me or I at least can comment on somewhat intelligently. LOL

If someone who is NOT on my people list comments on something I have done I go to their page and comment on something they have done.

Depends who the individual is To comment or not to comment is the question? LOL!

I have never dropped any of my connections once they join my network. As you've said, there are many things people do here. Some don't have a lot of time to comment on everything posted. Some only read and don't comment or rate. Some may be long gone and not even am active member anymore. And the fact that not everything everyone posts is of interest to all. I see many things I don't even care to read. Since I began participating 6 months ago, I've had about 50 people drop me from their netowkr for one reason or another...they didn't care for what I posted, didn't agree with my opinions or points of view, I didn't fall all over them and comment on every single post they published, because I haven't been posting lately or whatever reason. I don't know why people ask someone to join their network only to give them the boot in a month or two. Why bother in the first place? I have over 600 members in my network and if I was like some who drop others for not commenting; I'd have less than half that number. I've never posted an article where everyone of my people has left a comment. The most comments I've ever recieved is about 150 on any one post...about one quarter of those in my network. If others want to drop me...no sweat off my teeth. Drop me. I don't need them anyway. I've been quite successful anyway.

Ahhhh. Comment payback. As they say "payback is a bitch". I generally comment on articles that pique my interest, draw me in and invite me to consider something in a different light or just push my "you gotta be shittin' me button". I write a lot of poetry(allegedly) and some essay and satirical stuff and try to read and comment on those in my "articles for me" from my connections and then peruse the greater Gather stuff.

"There are so many topics to write on, not all of them interest everyone. Not everyone loves games. Not everyone enjoys cute comments or funny pictures."

Amen. I hate the points system. I don't want it to exist. I'm for communication for communications sake. Not for some gimme gimme motive. I respond poorly to manipulation and look forward to being deleted from high maintenance point sluts.

I regulary skim through "articles for me". I comment if your piece interests me. Hate games, pet contests, L O N G dull posts, not interested in recipes, your kids refrigerator art or which politician you hate. I respond more to current events, human interest stories, pithy observations, well written poems of under 20 lines and so forth.

I never rate articles good or bad. If you write me personally I write back. If you write a form letter to your list or "Hey check out this link" I'll ignore it.

I resent being milked for points. "Drive by" comments "nice" or "ten!" are meaningless to me. If I write something you like, I want to know why. if you don't like it, I want to know why. That is the reason I'm here.

If any of you don't think I'm producing the right numbers for you, please remove me from your connections. I'll consider it an honor to be excluded from your ridiculous company.

I do not have to worry about this yet because I'm new on gather. Trying to get anyone to read stuff is hard if it's long. If its a novelty, short, fun.. you get more comments. I deleted a couple of people for sending me links or mail too often, like mail commercials, mail begging, mail annoying. My internet is slow a dial-up. If I have to spend 5 minutes checking, reading, and deleting that junk, I wont like it.

I recieved similar mailings, and I too read a lot of different stuff, but I rarely read everything by everyone. Some things just don't interest me, so I choose not to read. Fair? I don't know I attempt to my greatest ablilty to exchange pt/ pt but that is dificult when there are so many great people here who do post a lot....as always people have to make their choices and then they have to live with what they do, which will end up as a rant article or something...such is life!!!

I check my connections and groups first because they are people I like to interact with. I don't connect to everyone that asks me. I comment on their stuff first. And I always give them points on what I read, etc. Sometimes I can't get to all of their stuff, but I try. I think it is petty when people do that about notifying people about dropping the connection. I say..."Get a life." Also, if people email me begging me to see their article then I usually won't. Don't beg me. I'll get to it if I can. After all they are connected to me and I can see the article, pic or video is there.

I would never get rid of someone once they've joined my network unless they were just intolerable. And I personally comment on the things I want. As you said Sara, I'm not interested in everything or have the time to get to everyones. For instance right now I'm pregnant, so a lot of my time is spent on those issues. But then down the road I might really get into photography and go comment crazy on every pic I find. But I do have a job, and a boyfriend and a dog and family and friends outside of Gather. Like Rob pointed out, I think the most comments I've ever gotten were 23! Whoopty flippen do. But I'm not going to get all upset about it and start dropping people. I don't know, to each his own I guess. But I think it's unfair to judge other people on the amount of comments they leave on mine vs. what I leave on theirs. We are two different people with two different sets of ideas with two different amounts of time on hand to spend on Gather. But at the same time, it would be nice to get a comment or two from some people you always comment on and never comment back...but it isn't going to cause me to drop them. Just my opinion anyway.

well,im gonna be as blunt as possible,because i gotta be me,so here goes.
to many people are fake in this world.if they wanna stop commenting and talking to people on there my people page because they cant always conmment on their stuff.then they are only in it for the points.period,no matter how much bullshit they shovel.
each group has over 400+ people for the most part,there is no way,we can get to everryone all the time.
there is no understanding with these people.
what draws me to an article or pic.it is what is pleasant to my eyes.
for examople,if i see an article say words that begin with V.if at that moment i think of some v words and i am not busy at that ,kmoment,il go and comment,because that to me is pretty fun and cool.
but if i see something like politics and about geroge bush or something,i may not go because bush sux and is an asshole.
and if i see a coool pic.ill go comment,whether it be a beautiful woman or an amercian bald eagle.ill go and comment.
im not afraid of women and i will tell them if they are beautiful in my eyes.
if they dont like it.get off gather or dont show your pic.that is what i dont understand ya know.
oh well,a bitch in every bunch i guess.or is that asshole in every bunch?
unreal
its morning,lol
i will say one thing,i wouldnt mind someone coming to something i posts and sayig it sux because its a comment and comments lead to points.
ill admit it.im in it for the points and for the people i meet.
but most of the people i meet dont wanna really chat with me or mail me or whathaveyou.only a couple do.so i guess im in it for the points because im too straight forward and blunt as it were i guess.
but for anyone on my peoples pages or anyoe in general,if anyone needs someone to talk to,im here for them.
they just dont wish to see it that way.
guess they would rather hang around people that say what they wish to hear instead of the truth,oh well
sala vee

I try to comment on as many articles, images, etc. as I can . As my connections grow, it's impossible for me to comment on everything they post, and I try to post thanks comments to those who comment on my posts.

I agree, we can't live on gather.com 24/7. And, if someone wants to drop me as a conection, because I don't comment immediately on something (because I will eventually) there's really nothing I can do about it. I'll feel bad about it, but there's so many people on gather - I'm not going to sweat or lose sleep if I don't comment or receive a comment.

Always, I'm grateful that someone is nice enough to comment on ANYTHING I do post. I don't take comments for granted.

Thank you all for commenting here. I recognize most of you. ;-) I think you all have some valid points. I'm glad no one said I was "off my rocker" for thinking it's impossible to comment on all articles by my connections.....

It's interesting how some view things.

I have about 113 connections now and I am trying to figure out the best way to comment. When I sign in to Gather, I usually to go articles for me first and comment on articles by my connections first and then I will go to recent articles and comment on some new stuff. When I receive a connection request I will check out that persons articles first and then I will send them a connection request or if someone wants to connect with me first I will go to their articles and see if what they write is of interest to me. If they write stuff that does not interest me and I know I will never comment on than I won't connect.

I comment when I have something to say. I tend to leave ratings if I read the article but unless I have something to contribute, I find it a waste of time to write "Thanks" or "nice" on everything I view.

Of course it's nice to receive comments back, but most people do have lives outside of gather and cannot possibly comment on everything that is posted by their connections. I pretty much use the same criteria as Kylee above. Now, if I continually receive e-mails from someone to "please read their article" and they next to never visit even an image of mine, sooner or later I would think that would be grounds for a disconnect. I don't publish everyday, so I can't stop and sort out who is commenting and who is not, and I also can't go to every article when a connection publishes more than a few articles a day. I have made a mental note not to connect with certain people I've seen on gather who do publish upwards of 10 articles a day that say really nothing. That I can't deal with and still maintain a pleasant disposition. I've not that much patience, lol.

I have rejected more connections than I have made. That makes me a snob.

That said, I only comment when I feel compelled. I do, however, read most of the things my connections post. And, I often comment on things they've commented on.

I don't care if someone disconnects from me for whatever reason.

I'm glad you wrote this..I always get such a guilty feeling if I dont respond to all my email notifications! I try to hit them all but somedays it's just not possible & somedays I feel guilty about spending so much time on Gather! I gotta find a happy medium somehow. C):-)

I read what interests me. I comment on things that I choose to. I try to not make meaningless comments. I don't care about the points, I care about the friends. Sorry if that irritates people.

Dan when you find that happy medium, let the rest of us know. I think a lot of us are struggling with that.

I do try to comment on other people's posts if they post on mine. Does this mean I post to every connection I have daily? Not necessarily. Some people don't post daily but I feel like it is polite to take the time to read the work of those who have read mine, especially if they also comment.

Is there a Gather Etiquette Book somewhere? LOL

As much as I would like to comment on everything, life has a funny way of interfering with Gather activities. SO I comment on what I manage, and mostly on the articles that interest me. If I leave a comment, however brief it might be, you can be sure I've read your article and not just left a comment for the sake of it (the "Thanks for sharing" type ;-)

Honestly, I do't have time to comment EVERYONE who comments mine, or comment all of my connections.
If I comment, I do it because I have something to say. On freebies, usually I give no more than a thank you, or mention a freebie that was particularly nice to see. But I NEVER copy paste comments.

And as for me being dropped, ok. But I look through my connections each day, and read all the articles that are of interest to me. Sometimes I comment one person more than another, but that's because I am more interested in their stuff.

If someone drops me because I'm not commenting the copy paste comments they do (or at least, one of my connections who's dropping me) does, that's their thing. I'm a busy college student, and during the school year, I don't have time to comment everyone's article or image. I get through as many as I can and still say something personal.... and if that hurts people's feelings, I'm sorry...

On some days when I have no homework, I will go out of my way to take the time to respond to everyone who responded to me, but that doesn't get to happen often.... I have 14 hours of in-class time, plus about 4+ hours of transportation time (I'm in a wheelchair), and then also upwards of 30-40 hours of study/homework time per week... I don't have time to do what some people can do on Gather...

I do the best that I can with the time that I have. I don't expect every connection to read, rate, comment on everything that I do, just as I hope that they don't of me.

Lately, with school starting, I haven't has a lot of time, so I have been doing a lot of viewing and just rating. There are a lot of pics that I honestly have no idea what to say, so I don't say anything.

IMHO deleting connections for not commenting is a bad thing. What if they are reading and rating, but aren't commenting?? What if I miss that great secret to life article because I have disconnected???

All, I can say to my connections is that I appreciate what they publish and their time, sometimes I am a lurker, but I am here:)

It sounds like we all just do the best we can; if people are offended by that, so be it!

When I read an article, I always vote on it, unless I don't like it, then I don't. That means that all my votes are nines or tens.
If I feel I have something to add then I will comment, but if there is nothing for me to say then I don't waste your time with it.
That is my strategy.
Are my votes recorded to me, or only my comments?

I have to agree with you. I know I have alot of friends and couldn't possible read and comment on all their stuff. Unless they point something out to me. I do have a habit of responding to people who comment to my articles whether they are my friends or not. I do lik eto return the favor on commenting. But something real life doesn't allow me enough to do it.

I don't comment for comment, I just comment to everything posted in the day by my connections as time allows. Some stuff I skip because I don't like the theme. I get tons of points that way so it works for me lol

I try and return comments as much as possible, but it is really a chore. I can't spend my whole life here to return every comment. I have a life outside of Gather that is very demanding, so I like to relax here. I like to read things that interest me, and develop friendships with some. I have many connections and I like them all. I try and visit them and keep up with them as time allows.

I dont feel like I owe anyone anything if they comment me. I try when someone requests a connection to go through and view all their pictures, I rate the ones I really like and if I have something to say I will leave a comment. I am sure many times I have viewed pages of pictures and never rated or left a comment. Turns out you get points for viewing and having your content viewed so they can delete me all they want it just means they wont get as many points and less people will be looking at their content.

WHEN my health and real life lets me, I have my notifications set for email notifications of my connections articles and images. I do my best to keep up with those. When my health/life doesn't grant me the strength or time for literally hours of daily Gathering I turn off all but the ones that inform me of comments made on my articles, gathermail, connection requests & invites. Right now, I'm still on that setting and am doing my best to catch up to the ones that were still in my aol mailbox when I changed my settings. I have been blessed with over 200 connections and some of them are very prolific in postings. I do my level best and that is all anyone can ask of me.

LOL sorry if the above headed toward rant mode by the way.

Oh also, I have to admit I am not a big comment writer. Sometimes just a single word or two but they are honestly meant. I also will at least rate if I don't comment.

Hope everyone had a good holiday weekend!

I have disconnected from exactly 2 people....one because they really pissed me off and the other one was freaky. If someone wants to treat people like that and disconnect from me so be it...I dont have time to comment on everything. I try and comment all I can but I am only human. I wrote a rant similar to this....great minds think alike.

I figure if people want to disconnect from me for whatever reason...they can go right ahead....as long as they realize they are very few truly active people on gather so by elimating or cleaning house whatever they want to call it....then I will not read their threads. I dont really care what it is....it could be something that really interests me and I still wont read it. I worry more about giving my time and attention to my contacts than to the judgemental people out there. I accept connections with anyone who wants to connect with me...I like different POV's.

Did I rant enough?