Instead of perpetuating the mass hysteria, why not just go here and offer some CONSTRUCTIVE feedback? Gather is asking for your opinion on the upgrades. Please give it. Not with cursing, moaning, theatrics and demanding - but with clarity and with dignity?
DO you know of any other company where a CEO will come and chat with you multiple times a month? Talk to Tom on the 22nd.
THESE ARE THE WAYS TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK HEARD. Why are there so few comments on this article? Is it because everyone is busy making silly black icons and mass mailing each other about the sky falling?
Please show some reason and decorum. Post only YOUR opinions and experiences, and post them clearly and in the proper place.
If you want to get on the mass mail train, then mass mail your friends to let them know where to leave their feedback. Please DON'T include instructions on what that feedback should be. We are all individuals, and should act as such.
Also, remember that Gather is a FREE SITE. You aren't paying to be here. You're getting paid to be here. Money, stuff, gift cards, cool contests, nifty things.... remember those?
Not following the fold (and still liking the upgrades),
--Laura Cushing
PS: Remember that this is my opinion. I respect your right to have an opinion- please respect mine. Also, for you drive-by-oners out there- please remember I've already collected some $$ for your page view, so don't bother. But do tell all your friends so I can get some more! (See what I mean about mass hysteria?)
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Comments: 66
This makes sense to me.
I'm still willing to wait and see what improvements Gather makes on Hawthorne.. if not, I'm already seeking another site that will accommodate my needs for "social networking", there are sites out there catering to the baby boomers and where reading articles and exchanging ideas is still important.
1. I did offer constructive criticism as did others - as did Kevin - who monitors a Help section of Gather. He had concerns, expressed them and got less than adequate answers (my opinion, NOT speaking for him ).
2. I asked why one of my Gather articles on Google, did NOT lead back to Gather but had my Gather name and address on it. Clicking on the "link" however, took people to a golf blog. Now, I ask you, how would you feel if your carefully and lovingly constructed music pieces ended up on the net and took someone to an unrelated site and you got NO credit for the work?
3. None of these questions have been answered but have been asked again and again.
4. Finally, consider my track record. You must know I have been an avid supporter of Gather, surely. Do you think I'd do this lightly?
I am submitting all this for your consideration, respectfully. I do consider you someone who thinks things through. But NEW users who have tried to get on Gather have complained to me about finding the site hard to navigate. So do a fair share of experienced ones.
I, too, like the Spotlight feature and some other things. But it is generally not "intuitively friendly" How does that help Gather? If Gather can't make it financially, there is no Gather.
Thanks for disagreeing constructively. I respect your opnion too - and still consider you my friend, of course. I understand that things are frustrating right now and a lot of people feel like Gather isn't listening- but I just don't think that this is helping anything at all. The best way to change the system is to work with the system if the system is working with you.
I think that there's just such a high volume of shouting that a lot of legitimate concerns are being left in the dust. Please consider going over to the article and leaving your opinions there - because I know you're constructive and clear! , even if you are going to continue with the black icon.
Ps: I miss the raccoon!
--L
I HAVE given my opinions to various Gather staff members. I have asked questions.
And, for the record, as a foreigner, I don't get paid anything for being here.....
You insipired me to post an article voicing my opionion.
it doesn't seem to matter....but I will not rest if all of my friends leave because of this.....
The issue is no one is listening. Tom's "chat" was, to put it nicely, a farce. Rather than comment on the issues raised by membership, it was basically just him trying to convince everyone why we should love the new upgrade. The feedback isn't getting heard, and people are rather irritated about that.
I have been constructive with explanations.
I have offered condensed versions.
I have been quietly assisting people to try to find ways to manage within the new & NOT IMPROVED system
I have even qualified for more than one of those we're sorry & we value your opinion emails - Gather can't be bothered to do any more than that though. They think we are all idiots. I resent that.
Oh yeah, and I have disconnected from you because I am tired of your refusal - like Gather - to be bothered LISTENING. How about you do something constructive like- gee - I don't know ...go research basic web design & usability principles.
The fact that you are "still liking the upgrades" speaks to a total lack of concern for others - especially for those with disabilities. I would not have guessed that about you; it makes me sad.
There are bugs. There are things I would have done differently. Some of the items have a learning curve, or challenge accessibility a bit excessively. There are other things I would have prioritized ahead of some of the things they are doing (and, I suspect, some are intermediary steps).
The one thing I would say is: no upgrade will be without critics. The fact that this is a communication forum makes it more likely that we will hear feedback en masse -- some of it creatively, some of it beautifully articulated. Not all will seem constructive ... but sometimes venting is part of the learning process for both sides. Just so it stays civil ....
However, what many people, myself included want is some definite action, either to repeal the upgrade, make the upgrade optional, or improve it into something that at least addresses some of the very basic problems it has created.
That action has not happened, and requests for action are now being met with silence. So I can understand why people are considering more creative ways of voicing their displeasure.
Constructive criticism is great, as long as someone is listening to it.
They just want to complain to complain!!! They dont really care about Gather!!
However .... what if Gather does not want to allow the OPTION of turning the feeds off ... or the OPTION of allowing us to use a "classic" gather page .... b/c they have a good idea that about 99% of the members will actually USE those options and that will kill their profits from the "new" gather ...... and actually PROVE how much the majority dislike their newest downgrade ..... just a thought ....
After all ..... how can ANY of us know for sure when we can't get a civil response from management .... as in "adult to adult" conversation with give and take, questions and answers ..... instead of just being told to "like it or lump it" so to speak ....
As for the black and darkened icons ...... that is a choice .... and, I hope, at least a VISUAL indication from those of us who are in mourning for the lack of communication and lack of caring that has emanated from "management" ..... A choice that I have made, to show that I am in mourning for the loss of "what was and what worked" and to show solidarity with others who are also mourning and protesting .... while our protests fall on blind eyes and deaf ears ....
Full credit to you! That is what makes a healthy debate.
Now to answer your questions, I have left my questions and concerns on Tom's article and in the daily help article (my yesterday) and did not receive any feedback whatsoever.
Many are loving the new system, so what I would like to see happen is for members to have an option on what feed they would prefer. I know it is not Gather's responsibility, but my reasons for complaint are based on two levels. One; as I am not a tech savvy user and I'm on the other side of the globe, I am missing many of my connections articles.
Two; I suffer from a medical condition that causes me to have round the clock headaches. As a professional writer, I need to spend a lot of time on the computer and have found a way to cope with this problem. Gather was always the easiest online writing site for me to participate in because of it's easy to use features and clear, uncluttered layout.
With the new feed my pain has increased on the site ten fold as my sensitive eye cannot cope with the formatting. As I said, this is not Gather's problem, but as many of our members are older people, I bet I am not the only one!
In conclusion, I would like to add that I adore Gather! I love the community spirit and the creative outlet. I have never threatened to leave and I have no intentions of doing so now, but I am unable to spend a great amount of time here any longer and that saddens me so much.
Thanks again for a well written article highlighting the other side of the coin. Let's hope the matter can be brought to some kind of compromise that keeps everyone happy. (Oh, well, most of us. You can't please all of the people all of the time can you?!)
I'm surprised this has escaped your attention. With these icons, it wouldn't have taken extensive research to realize that the premise of your article--that the "black-clad Gather mourners" have not offered constructive criticism--is blatantly false.
I haven't been very negatively affected by the 'upgrade' but I've seen the ways others have been and I've watched them ask questions and raise issues pollitely and I've waited for answers and the answers are not coming. Tom's availability is only useful to people if he acts on what he hears, and that doesn't seem to be happening.
Gather in general and Tom Gerace in particular have lost a lot of my respect as a result of the aftermath of Hawthorne. Now I'll have to include you in that group.
I am a little tired of coming across comments by a particular contributor, whom I have never heard of before, saying that all we want to do is complain and that we don't care about Gather at all. If we did not care, we would not be here! And as an international member, I do not receive rewards for being on the site. Everything I post is a labour of love.
Laura you maybe impressend talking to a CEO - I'm not - if you don't pay attention to your customers you may find yourself CEO of yourself and that is the way of GOOD business.
I have told the Gather team how I feel (nicely) and that three simple links would make me deliriously happy and I'd fully accept the upgrade. That's what is called a compromise. I'm all for compromise, since I know some DO like the upgrade.
Now, the Gather team needs to decide. Compromise or not. I think from a business standpoint that compromise would be highly beneficial.
I'll be around either way... maybe not as much as I'd like (seeing as finding stuff other than pings is near impossible) but I'm not going black OR going anywhere.
I am wearing black to mourn, not to threaten to leave (I won't) or to call for boycott ( I won't boycott either) but just to show I am sad about the changes.
I did do exactly as you said to do. I attended the Chat with Tom, asked questions, got not one answer, in fact I watched as he answered only certain questions, didn't anwer many with a straight out approach.
I still didn't give up. I wrote a really nice, even handed article stating that I understood their position but thought they could do better damage control if they would give us straight talk. click here
I am not yelling, screaming, screeching, or even really complaining any more. I got the message. I am just in mourning for 3 days. I don't see why that should offend anyone.
I will be at the Chat with Tom on the 22nd out of interest as to what he can tell us. But I don't expect him to change anything. I believe they have long term plans to change the focus of this site and it has already begun. I don't mind. It's their site, their money and their livlihood.
peace to all
namaste
Read the first couple of articles on the Gather help group right after the upgrade - where people were cursing, threatening to go down there and beat the Gather staff until the put the site back and so on. This is what I'm referring to. You can also see a lot of negative articles around the site that are just 'I'm going to complain until the site comes back!' with nothing but venom.
A lot of people have given constructive feedback - especially now that some tempers have cooled down, from usually reasonable people with good ideas.
But there's still a lot of stirring up the pot going on out there, with very little resulting from it.
Also, when I posted this - the feedback post from Gather had only 15 comments, while many of these 'let's wear black' articles had over 200. So that's what I was referring to, just to clarify. I'm not saying that everyone who is supporting the boycott is incapable of giving a clear opinion without resorting to these things.
Don't take this wrong, but I have been curious, since you first wrote this article, about why you decided to write it and what you hoped to accomplish by writing it.
My purpose was to get people to go give some constructive feedback on the upgrade so we can stop with all this and get on with Gathering.
--L
Maybe that is some constructive information for them to use.
I got that info from a nifty article called Hawthorne Redux here on Gather. It can be found using Gather's search under articles, hopefully. Searching for it will teach people how to use the Search form.
That's what I want, too.
BTW....Great article. It gets a ten from me.
Somewhere in there is a way, possibly, to keep members loyal and build Gather's bottom line. I do want to say that labels such as "silly black icons" sounds judgmental and demeaning of people whose viewpoints differ from yours.
Wouldn't it sting a bit for someone to call your column "silly" (I don't feel it is, by the way) rather than simply your particular take on music and an offering of your views and all that? IF I don't find some songs or opinions to my likings, I don't call you "silly". I just move on and take what good you offer.
I think many of us want a better Gather but some of us have taken a different way of communicating our feelings than others, for our own reasons. If we are truly a community, perhaps we could accept our differences and try to build on what we have in common: wanting Gather to be a better place. Divisive and judgmental words separate us, I believe.
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I agree with your suggestion.
I am sure Gather listens to its members, to a point, we do get credit for using Gather.
I am sure they make more off of members, than it pays them. Overall, some of the changes are okay. (in my opinion)
I followed the post-update activities very carefully, and I believe that there are/were many valid reasons for protest and member anguish. Discussion about boycotting and protesting only began after multiple important questions, rationally and intelligently stated, were completely ignored several times. In addition, conflicting statements by Gather management exacerbated the tension and clearly showed a lack of adequate internal communication, as well as an inability to effectively respond to member concerns.
These problems continue today in Gather's lack of acknowledgment for several critical, debilitating problems within the 'hallmark' features of this update. This demonstrates that Gather's "values" have not yet filtered through some parts of the organization enough to become evident within the community. :-(
Laura, have you considered at all that, members are unhappy, because they really love gather and what it has/had to offer to them?
The members on this site really care, that is why they are climbing the barricades. It was a good thing and well loved....
.....and while change is often good and has to occur for a site to grow - a change in itself is not automatically an improvement.
This change was not an improvement and the protests, input, reasonable postings with clear suggestions and member requests were in fact totally ignored.
Laura, you have a point. Some people re-acted in poor form, but consider, not everyone writes eloquent pleas or can produce pages of detailed suggestions - some of the members felt helpless, ignored and became quite irrate.
Feeling helpless and ignored can and will do that to you.
None of this would have escalated into black-outs, if action had been taken or responses would have been forthcoming - that is at the heart of all this!
The members do love gather and care what happens to this site, but they demanded responses and received empty words.
The tactic and the thought of management was, that, if we ignore this long enough this little storm in a water glass will go away.
By now - we all understand the old gather is irretrievably gone.
Personally, I'd like to see gather thrive and in my many years on the net I have seldom seen a website that members felt this attached to - that they felt moved to not just drift away into cyberspace, but hang around and implement change. Remember, change is a good thing:)
and laura..I don't have a problem with anything you said.