Mastering Gather: The SiteWizard™ for Wednesday, 02/06
February 06, 2008 10:30 AM EST
views: 229
|
rating: 8.2/10
(24 votes)
|
comments: 34
Looking for Gather Tips & Tricks? Need assistance getting something to work, or figuring out why it doesn't? 
The SiteWizard for February 6, 2008 »
| | |
 | Having spell-check capability on Gather can be of tremendous benefit when composing articles, comments and messages. While Gather currently doesn't provide this functionality, there are several ways to quickly and easily add powerful spell-check abilities to your Gather experience. How is this done? Many spell-check options are available to you, and will vary depending upon your browser and operating system. The recommendations listed below represent only a small segment of possible spelling add-ons and programs, but are generally regarded as among the best. They are free, easy to use and install, and work extremely well on Gather. Windows Firefox Browser (ver 2.0+) - This browser has built-in dynamic spell-checking ("as you type") and context-based spell checking, enabled automatically. Firefox will check any text you enter and alert you to possible errors by adding a dashed red underline to any potentially misspelled words. This applies to all text entry areas on Gather, including articles, captions, messages and comments. You may also add words to your own custom dictionary. Get the Firefox browser for Windows»
Google Toolbar (Internet Explorer or Firefox) - This toolbar provides a spell-check button and other powerful language tools. One click will check your article, caption, message or comment for spelling errors.
Get the Google Toolbar for Firefox » Get the Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer »
ieSpell (Internet Explorer) - This browser add-on program provides a powerful set of spelling tools and is accessed via a button on the browser toolbar, or the mouse menu (right-click).
Get ieSpell for Internet Explorer »
Mac
Safari Browser - This browser has built-in dynamic spell-checking ("as you type") and context-based spell checking. You may need to activate this option. Safari will check any text you enter and alert you to possible errors by adding a dashed red underline to any potentially misspelled words. This applies to all text entry areas on Gather, including articles, captions, messages and comments. Safari also can 'learn' your unique/custom words by adding them to a personal dictionary.
Firefox Browser (ver 2.0+) - This browser has built-in dynamic spell-checking ("as you type") and context-based spell checking, enabled automatically. Firefox will check any text you enter and alert you to possible errors by adding a dashed red underline to any potentially misspelled words. This applies to all text entry areas on Gather, including articles, captions, messages and comments. You may also add words to your own custom dictionary.
Get the Firefox browser for the Mac»
Tomorrow's Tip ...categorizing your Gather groups!
|  |
|
 | "Can I organize Gather mail messages into folders, or easily locate mail pertaining to a specific member, group or subject?" Yes, you can! All Gather mail messages can be 'tagged' ...even mail that has already been sent, or mail messages sent to you by someone else. This is very useful for categorizing your mail, or for adding keywords to help you locate specific messages later. This is identical to placing these messages into folders, if that option was available on Gather. For example, mail messages relating to contests or other giveaways on Gather can be tagged accordingly, or with any tag desired, such as 'contests', 'freebies', etc. Then, at any time, you can bring up all mail messages relating to this subject by searching your mail using one or more of these tags. You can also further categorize this mail message by adding a tag for the sender or recipient. This allows you to locate all messages from or to a specific member that pertain to that subject, or all messages from/to this member. Here are the steps to add your mail message to a 'folder', through tagging: - Select the message, by clicking in the small square to the left of the message.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page, and locate the drop-down box, with the words "Select an Action..." displayed within it.
- Click on the small arrow on the right side of the box.
- Select 'Tag Message(s)' from the drop down list.
- Click 'Submit' ...and your done!
Then, at any time, use the 'Find tag' box at the top of each mailbox page, to display mail messages with specific tags: 
Note: There is one drawback to adding tags to Gather mail messages. Tags added to mail are also added to the list of 'My Recent Tags' which appear during the article, image and video publication process. This increases the number of tags you must scroll through if choosing recently added tags when publishing.
| |
|
help help me gather sitewizard wizard gather helpme site technology faqs questions publishing tips tricks articles article images image comment comments video videos mail search groups group newbie
Please provide details below to help Gather review this content. If it is found to be inappropriate and in violation of the Gather Terms of Service, action will be taken.
You have successfully submitted a report for this post.
|
|
More by Kevin (''The SiteWizard'') V.
|
rate
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 34
Welcome to the SiteWizard's "Mastering Gather: Book of Secrets"!
Your source for tips, tricks and other helpful information for maximizing your Gather experience.
In addition to the daily Book of Secrets, the SiteWizard content series includes live comment chat capability, regular tutorials, advice
...and a categorized help index to ALL community resources!
Looking for something specific?
Can't figure out how something works, or why it doesn't?
Ask the SiteWizard™!
Leave a comment or question below, or click the link to chat LIVE!
It's been recently called to my attention that there are hackers on Gather. Is this true and do you know why Gather would allow someone to continue to do this and remain a member if it is so, since it is a clear violation of TOS?
I am still awaiting the disposition from Gather on the SiteWizard article from Monday which had mysteriously disappeared.
Thank You!
Yes. Safari does have a lot of compatibility problems with Gather, and Firefox is recommended.
....but the spell-checking options in Safari do work well, if little else (on Gather).
If there were hackers on Gather, I'm certain that action would be swift and severe. Gather would not allow any nefarious activity to continue in the community.
I will check out all of your tips
I do not believe that members are hacking other members here. However, like in any community, these things can happen. Thus, Gather has implemented systems to detect this if it should occur, and take necessary action. :-)
Well, first of all the term "trackers" as used above is misleading. This capability allows you to see how many page views (or 'hits') your content has received. However, for the most part, they are very inaccurate (especially on Gather)...leading to erroneous results.
I've always had my concerns how Gather amasses personal information for demographics for their advertsers. I thought that the campaign to update profiles was a ploy to get people to put out more personal information that could be used for those statistics. I've also thought that putting people on the cash option and having their SS#s would be another way they gathered this information. There's always going to be a segment that is not defined though. I have wondered if hacking into personal information might also be a last resort.
I would find it difficult to believe that you are solely repsonsible if this is the case. If it is the case, you probably can't say anyway. I know you're in a very bad position and I also have a strong feeling that you know things to which the other guides are not privy.
If you delete this post, I'll understand. I would have sent you an email, but I prefer others to know what I think too.
I'll respond shortly.
Sue -- I'll respond to you as well as soon as I can. Thanks!
If you want your article to have the same font face (georgia, verdana, etc.), size and color THROUGHOUT the entire article, then coding is easy. However, if you want to change any of these attributes periodically, the process becomes a little more involved.
I have some tips that may help...but first I need to know what browser you use, and if you want to alternate colors, sizes and style (like this article does).
See my responses below. Thanks!
Kevin, I just believe that you know something that you are never going to reveal.
No, I don't...at least not about this 'hacking' question/issue/concern. I am doing nothing to cause myself to appear anywhere on the site, and I have remitted my own observations in this matter to Gather for their review. Like others on the site, I have been logged out repeatedly (and at the most inconvenient times too), and I have alerted Gather to this as well, although doing so is likely to be unnecessary. I am certain that a logical explanation is close at hand...and one that exonerates me from any wrongdoing.
You've never been anything but nice to me. At first it concerned me that your reply to me was so short and curt and I wondered if you were covering some guilt. I know nothing of the rumors, except that they exist, and no real proof has been offered that you are involved.
I'm sorry about the short reply. It wasn't intentional. Your question was rather non-specific, so I could only provide you with a fairly general reply. While I guessed that there was more to it, I didn't want to read between the lines or infer.
I've always had my concerns how Gather amasses personal information for demographics for their advertsers. I thought that the campaign to update profiles was a ploy to get people to put out more personal information that could be used for those statistics. I've also thought that putting people on the cash option and having their SS#s would be another way they gathered this information. There's always going to be a segment that is not defined though. I have wondered if hacking into personal information might also be a last resort.
I personally don't believe that this is Gather's motivation...I think Gather is truly trying to bring a more 'social' aspect to the community. Plus, I don't think that Gather stores some personal information on the same servers as data we enter into our profiles...and they can't really 'hack' information they already have available to them. Since I have been a Gather member, spam and other solicitations have never increased, so I have no concerns in this regard (at this time).
I would find it difficult to believe that you are solely repsonsible if this is the case. If it is the case, you probably can't say anyway. I know you're in a very bad position and I also have a strong feeling that you know things to which the other guides are not privy.
Again, I believe that what is being reported (members like myself appearing regularly on the 'My Gather' page) is simply a glitch caused by the recent update, or some other anomaly...but NOT that it is in any way intentional.
I hope that is a better answer for you!
If you delete this post, I'll understand. I would have sent you an email, but I prefer others to know what I think too.
I don't come on this site looking for people, and if I've looked at my homepage's people section a half dozen times since I've been a member for almost the last year and a half, that would be a lot, so I have no idea who shows up there, or with what frequency. I look for content here, and almost always written content, not being very interested in images or videos unless they have something to do with written content.
After scanning the first page of Articles For Me, if nothing is of interest, I'll go to Recent Comments and Recent Articles ,which is how I found that article of Sandy's the other day. Lately, I've been looking at the features, only because Gather has been featuring political articles which hold the most interest for me on this site.
I have never desired to use this site as a social venue, and probably never will. (maybe when I'm 80). Although there are a handful of connections of mine that I've grown fond of, it was nothing that I sought out or expected. As far as cliques are concerned, I learned my lesson back in high school when I nearly lost a lifetime friend who was not accepted as part of a clique to which I belonged, so that's just juvenile crap to me.
Yes, Gather is making this more and more a social site. This new idea of theirs to allow only some connections to see what you've posted is every bit as ridiculous as the other upgrades they've done recently. I hope to be able to pay no attention to it. They do make me less active on the site. Yesterday, for example, there was a political article a connection of mine posted that I really wanted to comment on, but since he had chosen to approve comments before posting, I opted out. I couldn't hate that feature and the delete comment option any more than if they were Satan personified, and for more than the obvious reasons, but too many to go into here.
Let me announce here that I disconnected from Susan yesterday, the reason being that I don't want anyone to think or say that you've bad-mouthed her to me in any way. This was solely my decision, and has nothing to do with how you feel about her or how she feels about you. Many of her comments on that thread were immature and moronic, and I saw no purpose in her revelation of your real first name either. I think she's the only one on that whole comment thread besides Dan Tomkins to whom I was or am connected. (I assume we're still connected; I'm not even sure at this moment.) I detected some animosity between the two of you when I asked for advice on the digital camera I bought a few months back. It was subtle, but I picked up on something. You were both very helpful and, once again, whatever is between you remains there and has nothing to do with me. He made only one comment and didn't flood the thread with unnecessary garbage. I have no issue with Dan.
I thought Sandy was most gracious and courteous to everyone who responded (except, of course, you) and I admire her for that, because had it been my article, I wouldn't have been tolerant enough to hold back my fingers on the keyboard.
The hacking issue was the issue of concern to me and remains so. I have my ideas, some of which I've mentioned above, and you haven't refuted those to my satisfaction where Gather is concerned. Neither has Gather allayed my concerns in the matter. Mary Ann's response was exactly what I expected. She addressed the recent upgrade and made it the scapegoat for most of the problems that, according to others, have been rampant before the upgrade. Yes, there were some problems that were directly related to the upgrade which I had already mentioned myself in several places on Gather, including Jim Bostick's article on feedback about the latest upgrade. That was only a part of it though. That, along with the pop-up explanation, did nothing for me to explain away hacking suspicions.
Thank you for your reply to me, Kevin. I hope you can resolve any issues you have with other members to your mutual satisfaction. I think you offer a great service to this community for new members, especially. As I've said before, I admire your talents and abilities to display information in a tasteful and interesting manner, and appreciate your work.