Visit Your Groups!

Howdy Gather friends!  The last upgrade provided group owners with so many tools for making each group page unique, artsy, homey, whatever.

I've been here for two years (the 14th was my Gatherversary!), and in that two years, I've heard many people say that they never visit groups.  I hope that's not you.

Group pages offer quite a bit of information. 

• The group page remind you why you joined the group, what it's all about. 
• It offers featured items, and sometimes your post might be featured!
• It could provide other places to look for information.  For example, on my fibro friends page, I've listed some links to learn about fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.  You'll find links on the right hand side of the page, near the bottom.
• The group owner could have a place for archives.  If you're looking for an older article on a particular topic, this could be helpful.
• You can now do a search specifically from the group page.  If you know someone posted something to a particular group, your search can start there.
• Gather has provided us with an announcement window, where you can find out what's new with the groups.
• And Gather has given us a place to chat within the groups.

There are so many things that have changed and improved on the group pages.  I hope you're not ignoring them.  What a waste for Gather to go to the trouble to upgrade this and the group owners to spend time creating pages that are unique, if you don't bother to visit.

If you have not created a group yourself, I urge you to do so.  It's fun!  If you're interested in a particular topic, be the first (or second or third) to create a group about that topic.  Specific groups are much better than the everything goes groups.  You have a much better chance of being featured (and, therefore, getting more page views) if you post to groups about topics.  Everything groups usually have hundreds of members, or more, so your content quickly gets lost.  In a group about speciic topics, there might only be a dozen or less posts each day.  Your posts have a better chance of being noticed!

You can create private groups - for your high school class, for instance, or for your family.  What a great way to keep in touch, to share information and pictures, without the rest of the world peeking in.  :)

Here is a list of my groups.  I do moderate the ones that are topic specific, and I do reject posts that are not on topic.  If you find one that interests you, do join! 

I have not had the opportunity to spruce up the pages of all of my groups yet, but I'm working on it.

It's All Good (and Clean!)
allgoodandclean.gather.com
members: 78

Post anything - rants, essays, stories, articles, poem. The only requirement is that is clean (and if it's a rant, not too unkind). Can you do that?

Assembly Required
assemblehere.gather.com
members: 33

Assemble here. Come and get some comments and points. Join now! What are you waiting for??? 

The Marilyn Group
marilyngroup.gather.com
members: 18

There are quite a few Marilyns here at Gather.com and I thought it would be fitting to have a group just for us. But we'll keep it open for Marys, Marias, Marthas, Marylous, Maryanns, and any women whose names begin with "Mar".

Once you're a member, you can post anything. Well, anything "clean."

Dancing in the Rain
dancingintherain.gather.com
members: 70

I shared something called, "Dancing in the Rain". I asked if you'd like to join me as we learn together how to dance in the rain, how to handle the storms of life, how to make lemonade out of lemons. Some folks said, "Yes!" And so a group was born.  

Daily His
dailyhis.gather.com
members: 29

Sometimes we forget to feel and experience God's presence. Sometimes we forget to stop and listen for God's urgings.

How did you feel God's presence today?

I used to start each and every day sitting on my porch, watching the sun rise, listening to the birds sing, watching the squirrels romp. Sadly, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue often take that joyous time from me.

But when I get the chance, I still observe God's creatures. I think they can teach us so much about worship. Sometimes, after a rain perhaps, the birds all sing louder and in harmony, celebrating, and offering up their praises to Him.

Fibro Friends
fibrofriends.gather.com
members: 35

Fibro friends, this group is for you! Please try to post mostly articles and poems about your fibromyalgia. Tell us about the pain, fatigue, depression, IBS, whatever!

Frugal Folks - Money savers, frugal, freebies, crafts, homemade
frugalfolks.gather.com
members: 183

A place for sharing all of your money saving, frugal and thrifty ideas. Know about some freebies? Share here. Do you do crafts or make homemade items? Share, please.

Invisible Illnesses
invisibleillness.gather.com
members: 44

If you have an invisible illness, this is your group. Please limit your writings to chronic/invisible illnesses - fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, lupus, cancer, arthritis, depression, bipolar, other chronic/invisible illnesses. Vent, rant, share what works for you, tell us about your doctors. Poetry and photos welcome!

Left-Handers Unite (Lefties Unite!)
leftiesunite.gather.com
members: 31

A group for left handed people (or those who love them).  Seriously, everyone does know that lefties are the only ones in their right minds!

Holidaze
holidaze.gather.com
members: 149

Post anything about holidays - stories, poems, even games. They just have to be about some holiday. Even obscure ones. :-)

Strange Promptings
strangeprompting.gather.com
members: 42

New prompts will appear, something to help each one of us get creative. Run with it!

For example, the first prompt was to write a poem using at least eight of your already existing titles. It didn't have to make sense. It just had to be fun.  

I have neglected my Strange Promptings group for a while.  I vow to change that!  Join now, and we'll start sharing prompts to help us write and be creative.