Gather points?? Rankings and Editor's picks?? Fill me in!!

Laura, The editors at Gather write a weekly column to help Gather members get the most out of their Gather experience. Go to editors.gather.com to find these articles. You will find an article on how the Editors' Picks are chosen and more.

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Jennifer is the Associate Editor of Gather.

Like Laura, I would appreciate somebody to explain how the Gather points system works; specifically, how does one obtain points, what are the value of points?

Thanks Jennifer- I will certainly do that... i wasn't aware of such a place on this site!! So your help is mcuh appreciated! ~L

Laura, you're far from alone in your questions. And I find the answers amorphous - but who knows what's going to be the end result as things are in flux.
I'm going to be away for a bit and I have this image of me signing onto Gather in a week and being totally lost and befuddled at what's happened since I last looked.
Never boring though . . .

Last night I actually threw my underwear in the dirty clothes bin.
My wife, Susan, ever the encourager, smiled and gave me 25 Gather
Points!

I think the points are actually meaningless. Like airline miles, you need thousands to actually get anything.
I don't care about that anyway. I'm here to read and write and look at people's amazing pictures.

I certainly think that probably the gather points have some system. What I don't get is the articles that are rated 10's. and their rank. There seems to be no logic at the moment. the #1 can have less comments and less votes than the # 7 or #11. I have emailed Gather staff and they haven't explained it yet to me, though they were going to look into it. They really have been helpful, and I'm sure there must be a formula, though it doesn't seem to be obvious right now.

Laura--I really appreciate your raising these questions. I also appreciate the gather.com response as I was not aware of the editors.gather.com articles. To the gather.com management I would only add that transparency is very important. Thanks for all of your hard work in bringing this fascinating site into being.

I would say I don't care about the points, but they are redeemable beginning in April for Barnes and Noble gift certificates. I LOVE BOOKS!!!!! I need to write more so I can get lots of points and get books, books, books!

Mike- the fairy forgot me last night... I put my points under my pillow, and no teeth arrived... When the tooth fairy forgets our kids we usually guilt her into a cd or movie... :) So maybe enough points for a book... hmmmm.... ;)

I am glad that I am not the only one... The system doesn't make sense to me... I love the idea of gathering points... but what I liked the most is my chance to express what is in my heart... I am not a writer... i am not necessarily interested in improving my skills, but I think that they will be improved by the simple fact that I am practicing...

What I have noticed just in myself... Is that I am spending more and more time on my work than just scribbling it all down... That in itself is an improvement for me...

I am grateful to the Gather staff... I love the community that I have found here... What a great group of people... ~L

The Editor's Desktop: How "Our Editors' Picks" Are Chosen - there is the specific link

The points are earned based on a formula which is apparently toodifficult for Gather to fully divulge. How many you get is determined by how much Gather is making - the more they make the more we make - like a profit share. This is my take on it at least. The guesstimate amonst many Gather-ers is that the points are about a penny each. If this is the case, wow, it takes a lot to earn anything worthy on Gather. I have been here since Late November, and for a lot of that time I was the #1 read author on Gather and very active. I have slowed a lot lately realizing Gather was taking over too much of my life. Considering the idea that it is about a penny a point though, it means I have earned $28.02. And 800 ($8.00) points of that are from inviting members to the site during the contest to invite members. Kind of disappointing - but if I chalk it up to it being during beta, and in the future we earn more points more quickly, then it could become more worthwhile.

This just in - I now am worth $28.03 woohoo!

Monica, you're worth ten time that, and then some!

I have to agree with Chris... You are worth WAY more than that!!

Robert will you come give me $2.00... please!! ;)

I think we are all worth more than points at a penny a piece! Lets all hope for Gather success so the points will be worth more! FYI - now up to 2821! Woo hoo!

Hee hee - here's dreaming - how about a dollar a point!