Tips for Gather Newbies

I thought I would write an article for people who are new to Gather.  I do pretty well on here so I thought I would share what I have learned.

How do the points work?

• From what I have read this formula is a trade secret that Gather is not giving out information on.  I can tell you from personal experience that we earn from viewing the content of others and for them viewing content.

What should I put up?

• Put up posts, photos and videos that interest you.  So long as it is your original work or you have permission from the creator to use it, you will be fine.

Are there rules about what I can put up?

• Yes, the content should be your own.  Copying and pasting from other sites or using content you did not create yourself may infringe on the creator's copyright.  All content must also fall within Gather's TOS (Terms of Service.)

How do I get more people to look at my content?

• Be active.  View and comment on the work of other people.  This helps you build connections who are more likely to look at your content.  Put up unique content.  If you put up something from the web or an email, chances are people have seen it a million times before and won't be as interested.

What are groups for?

• Groups are for people with interests in common.  There are many "posts anything" groups in which you can post most anything, but some groups are more specific and ask that you only post content to that group which pertain to it.  For instance, a group about dogs may only want content which has something to do with dogs, so if you publish an article that has nothing to do with dogs, you would not want to publish it to that group.

What are pings?

• Pings allow you to leave a message for one particular person on their page.  You don't earn anything for them, but they are a great way to communicate between members.

How come some people make so many more points than me?

• Those people most likely have been very active, built a lot of connections, belong to a lot of groups and post fresh content.  They probably view a lot of content and a lot people view their content.  The more you have fun with the site and don't focus on points, the quicker they seem to come.

Did Gather eat my post?

• Occasionally someone will go to post an article and it just disappears.  I have not had this happen, but I have read of it happening so to be on the safe side I write my articles in word pad and then copy them to Gather so if it does disappear I have a copy handy.

It says a friend put a post, photo or video, but when I click on it I can't see it.  Why?

• It may have been deleted by the person or it may have been flagged for adult content.  If your account is set to guarded viewing you will not see any content that has been flagged as adult.  To change the setting click on "My Account" on your home page.  The setting is at the bottom of the page.

I've been on the site for half an hour and don't see a change in my point total.  Why?

• Points usually update hourly, a little after the hour.

If you aren't sure about something, the Help section can be found by clicking Help on the top of the page.  Don't be afraid to ask questions, most members will answer you to the best of their ability. 

This site is a lot of fun.  You will find a diverse group of people with many interests.  It can be daunting at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's a breeze.  The trick is to find things you enjoy and go with it.