Let the Search Begin - Find it Fast on Gather!

First, you can now search for anything from anywhere on Gather by using the search option at the top of every page. The search menu lets you select what you want to search for like articles, images, video, people, and groups. Then simply enter your search terms in the space provided, click the arrow button, and we'll find it for you on Gather.

Basic Searching

When you start a search on Gather from the main search terms field the search will look for matches to your terms by looking at titles, text or descriptions, and tags used on content. For groups we'll return results based on the group name, description, and group tags. For the new people search we will look at all the available public information that members of Gather have provided on their profile.

It's worth noting that only public information can be searched on Gather so anything that is private or shared only with specific people, or with private groups, will not show up in search. You can always find content published to you on your "My Gather" page.

Refining Your Search

One of the really interesting features in the new Gather Search is the option to refine your results. On all searches you'll notice the refine options displayed on the left column next to your search results. A short list of available refine options will display based on how often each option is used on items in your search. If you want to see more options click the "show more" link under each section and the list will expand to the right and display more options.

For articles, images, and video you have the option to refine your search by the most popular tags and groups that are associated with the content returned to you in your search. For groups you may refine using the group tags and the group locations. In people search you have refine options based on all the available public profile information provided by Gather members. Looking for people who like your favorite book? That's easy! We'll discuss this in more detail shortly.

Clicking one of these refine items, a tag for example, will narrow your search to include only items that contain that tag for your search terms. Refining using group names narrows your search to only display items published in those Gather groups. You can add and remove refinements until you discover exactly what you are looking for, then go enjoy the read.

Advanced Search

Every search option also has a robust advanced search feature. When you click "advanced search" next to the search terms space on any search results page more options will appear. These options allow you to look for really specific stuff. All terms you provide for the advanced search options will be matched. This means that you may only get a few things returned but it is a great option when you know exactly what you are looking for but just don't know where it is.

Searching for Articles, Images, and Video

When you choose to search for articles, images, or video on Gather the main search terms field will look for matches to your terms by looking at titles, text or descriptions, and tags used on that content.

All content searches will display a simple listing of articles or a gallery view for images and video. If you want more info click the small control next to the "sort by" options. This will redisplay your searched items with more information like a synopsis of the text and groups the items are shared with.

Once you have your search you can refine your results to exactly what interests you. Refine by Tag will only display items that contain the specific tag you select. Refine by Group shows only items published to the selected group. These can also be removed by clicking the tag or group name on the "refined by" listing that displays above your search results.

Content advanced search options include titles for articles and video, member name of the content publisher, group names where the content is shared, specific tags, and you can search by date ranges based on when the content was published.

Searching Across Different Content Types at the Same Time

The new Gather search will also let you know how many things were found on the other content types too. So if you search for articles you can see at a glance how many images and video also exist for the search terms you provided. Check the "content found" box on the top left of the search pages. This makes it easy to jump over to an image or video search for the same information without doing a new search.

Searching for Gather Groups

Starting a group search using search terms looks for groups on Gather based on the group name, URL, owner, description, and group tags. Advanced search for groups include these same options in addition to the ability to find groups based on the date that the group was created. Group search is essentially just like content search for refining but for groups you may narrow your search by tags and locations associated with the groups by the group owner. This is a great way to find groups that are relevant to you on a local level.

Searching for People

We're really proud of the new people search on Gather. It has never been easier to find others like you or be found by people who think you are interesting. People search uses the information you provide in your profile as long as you set that information to be shared with everyone. When you start a search for people using the keyword field Gather looks at virtually every category of profile information. You can search for people from your home town, folks that are members of your favorite groups, even others who like your favorite books, movies, or music.

Not only will you discover others who share your interests, you can also use people search to see popular items related to your interests. What other books do people read who love your favorite book? Use people search to find out.

Refine your people search

You can refine your people searches too. The refine choices seem endless. Every profile information category is represented. These include basic information about you such as age, gender, relationship status, and more. There are also several interest categories ranging from food to favorite TV shows. You can share your affiliations like employers, schools, or political positions. Why not try looking for others on Gather who you went to school with. You might just find a long lost friend

Advanced People Search

Looking for someone specific? You can do that too. Using advanced search options will allow you to look for people from specific locations, people who enjoy certain bands. You can even look up people in multiple categories. Looking for people from Boston who eat sushi, are democrats, read Vonnegut, watch Oprah, and went to Harvard? It's possible!

Your Enhanced Profile

Gather's people search is made possible because of a few key enhancements to your member profile pages. The new member profiles now rely on you providing information in key topics as comma-separated listings (similar to tags). When you visit anyone's profile the information shared can now be clicked. Each link will deliver a people search containing all the other Gatherers who provided the same items in their profile. Exploring profiles is an awesome way to learn more about the members of your community. Look for the new "view Profile" link on every member listing in search to jump directly to someone's profile page. If you haven't created or updated your profile recently now's the time to add all that interesting information about you.

Express Yourself

The first option in your profile asks you to describe yourself. Don't be shy. This is the place to say anything that you want others to know about you. Part of this info also shows up on your Namespace page so people who stop by your page can get to know you. This space is the perfect place to include current news in your life. Update it often so others know what's new in your world.

Of Course There's More...

Search is the heart and soul of this Gather upgrade but we just couldn't stop there. Your "My Account" page has also been simplified and we added a new page dedicated entirely to managing your Gather email notification preferences. This should make it much easier to save settings and select the email you want to receive from Gather and from your connections.

So What's Next?

There are a lot of new features to play with here but it's only the beginning. This new Gather search technology set's the stage for a long list of upcoming enhancements that are still in the planning stages. On the horizon are additional profile upgrades; adding similar refine options to other pages on Gather; improved ability to organize your groups, connections, images, and other content; Namespace and My Gather improvements related to these new search features; and possibly even the ability to recommend content groups and people you might be interested in on Gather based on the information you provide in your profile.

Your Feedback is Always the Key

Our teams are continuously working toward building a better Gather but we can't do it without your input. Tell us what you think and we'll do our best to tweak and refine these options. Post your comments here or publish your ideas as your own article. Remember to share your feedback with Gather by publishing to the group "Building a Better Gather" at improve.gather.com. If you find a glitch be sure to let the Gather Member Services team know by sending email to support@gather.com.

On behalf of the entire Gather team we thank you for being part of our community and we hope you enjoy the new Gather search experience.