by Sue B.© The Sting IS Worse Than the Buzz
Member since:
September 8, 2006

An OSA Brain Basher

November 05, 2008 03:10 PM EST (Updated: November 05, 2008 03:15 PM EST)
views: 67 | comments: 27
Not a terribly important question in the grand scheme of things, but can anyone tell me why, if there are 6 people belonging to a private group, there would be any more than 5 views on an article posted by one of its members?
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Comments: 27

DiAnA D. Nov 5, 2008, 3:13pm EST
good question!
Heather W. Nov 5, 2008, 3:16pm EST
Because Gather's system is dysfunctional at best, which is why I question the integrity of any contest determined by page views.
Farmer Slim aka Michael H Nov 5, 2008, 3:17pm EST
Maybe one of the members of the group has a split personality.
I forgot about my Sybill tendencies, Slim. That explains it!
Μόףףý ● ķ ~ Nov 5, 2008, 3:19pm EST
Someone cleared their Cache. I hear that works, but I don't know how its done.
Moggy, all you have to do is clear your cookies to do that, not the whole cache, but that would also mean that it's one of the other 5 members who has done that. I don't know why anyone would, but thanks for the idea. That could very well be it.
Μόףףý ● ķ ~ Nov 5, 2008, 3:40pm EST
I clear my cookies and temp files out a couple of times a day because if I don't it lags my response time down. I was told that clearing your cache was a totally different procedure.
The cache contains the cookies and the temporary files, both web and non-web files. When you delete your temp files you really are clearing your cache. If you want to clear your whole cache it will also automatically clear your cookies, and it's a longer process that will also delete your temporary files but the cookies allows a tracking for where you've been before, so once you've cleared your cookies, you can go to the same page you've been before and it will look as if you've never been there so it will record a new view. You can clear your cookies without deleting any temp files.
Kevin (''The SiteWizard'') V. Nov 5, 2008, 3:48pm EST
Sue,

As Moggy pointed out, if you clear your cookies for Gather (or block cookies) and view any content you will increment the page view count by 1...regardless of whether you have viewed this content previously. Conceivably one article/photo/video can have hundreds of page views generated by only one or two people.
Kevin (''The SiteWizard'') V. Nov 5, 2008, 3:50pm EST
Sadly, Gather no longer limits page views to unique views. Consequently all programs or processes that view pages offline are now against the TOS.
Moggy, another thing is that you shouldn't have to delete your temp files that often to speed up your system. Have you checked to see whether you have enough RAM? It sounds as if you might have a memory problem. (your computer, not you)
That's what I just said, Kevin. I said that the cookies are responsible for the page views, not the cache. Maybe I misunderstood, but I thought that Moggy was saying that it was the cache deletion that was responsible for the increased page views.
So, Kevin, I'm still unclear as to what the anwer to my question is. Do you agree that one of the other 5 members of my private group is deleting his/her cookies and viewing the article again and again, or is it possible that someone else can access the private group's articles?
Kevin (''The SiteWizard'') V. Nov 5, 2008, 4:05pm EST
Sue,

It would be my opinion that no outside members are viewing the content in your private group. I have had the same experience in a private group (still am), and it is solely due to one or more members that clear their cookies regularly....for whatever reason.
Ricky Fico Nov 5, 2008, 4:09pm EST
Ah, it's a simple matter of meta-physics, not something to get too alarmed about. Let it ride, just let it ride and concern yourself better what's outside - the changing colors! Ah yes, beautiful... I am a man of the Fall...on the rise!
OK, thanks, Kevin!
I see you saw my ping's answer to your ping, Ricky!
Ricky Fico Nov 5, 2008, 4:30pm EST
What? Playing ping-pong are we? Well, well, well... I think it's my serve. And I only hope to serve you right! If not, well, I'll trade in my baton for...for.. perhaps a ukulele. "Tip toe...through the tulips... "

Nah, I better not. I could get myself in trouble this way! Maybe not! I better stick to my guns. Ouch! Better not!

Oh, my cod, I got a headache. I better go see a sturgeon. Sounds fishy to me though.
So, to up the page views all you need to do is to clear out your cookies? Hmm...
Yeah, well, you can even do it without clearing your cookies if you go to an article by not signing in and just entering from a backdoor, Nippy, but to increase them significantly, you'd have to be a robot or a moron because you have to go in and out as many times as you want the views to increase. Of course, you can't do that with a private group because you can't see articles from a private group if you go in through a back door not signed in, even if you are a member of the group.
Rob Appell Nov 5, 2008, 4:40pm EST
Cookies? I like cookies. What kind of cookies? Chocolate chip? Molasses? Peanut butter? I'll bet it's peanut butter...and the article is sticking to the roof of Gather's mouth to create the extra views. It's another one of those great mysteries of the world Gather holds as secret...just like their point algorithm. (I don't even know how to clear my cookies let alone where to even find them. That's how much of a computer moron I am. I wonder if that's why I have like 200,000 things listed every time I run my spy sweep.)
Sue, there are various macro tools available that you can use to control browsers. Some are free and do a fine job of keystroke automation. I'm not really thinking of private groups. :)
I knew all this talk about cookies would bring you around, Rob!

Can I get those macro tools to type for me?
They'll type for you. They're very similar to Lotus 123 or the old mini/mainframe macro tools.
I'm not familiar with AS400 macros and the like, and I have some familiarity with Lotus from a long time ago. but not enough.
Andrea (Ms. Conservative) L. Nov 6, 2008, 10:01pm EST
Leaving a 10 as my comment!
Lionel LaVergne Nov 7, 2008, 3:55pm EST
I don't read and comment just in groups I belong to. I have friends notification on everyone on my list. Every time they SHARE, oh yuck, an article, or make a comment or just about anything I am notified. Each day I get about 100 emails because you people are very, very, very busy.
Lionel LaVergne Nov 7, 2008, 3:58pm EST
I studied psychotherapy for several years thinking I would do that to help people.. I got tired of the word, sharing. Dr. Phil makes me physically ill, he uses techniques that have been out of style and proven useless for years now.

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