To the Gather Support team:
In the past I have thought that leaving comments on articles, images & videos actually earned me points, as well as publishing and getting those commented on. Due to a recent article I've read, I have since questioned if this is true. So I went to your "Help" section to re-read on this. This is what you have posted there:
How do you determine how many points I earn?
We use different algorithms to determine which individual user activities are creating community value. Certain metrics - for example, invitations that recruit new members, plus article, image or video views and ratings, comments, and group membership growth are just some of the activities that help us understand how much value individual members are creating for the community. The more value you provide, the more points you'll earn.
How do I earn more Gather Points?
We want to give Gather members incentives to do the very things that make Gather a better place. To earn more, publish content of high quality. Invite your friends, family and colleagues to Gather. Build great groups. Maintain a healthy, respectful, playful conversation with other Gatherers.
This is not clear to me. It does not clearly state which activities actually earn points. It appears to me that it only states what Gather uses to determine an individual user's value to the community. Unless I am misinterpreting this, it does not actually state that this criteria also earns the member actual points. Obviously some of it does, as I am accruing points, but I would really appreciate clarification.
Please take the time to answer the questions listed below individually, to clear up my muddled mind.
1.) Do I earn points by commenting on other member's articles, images &/or videos?
2.) Do I earn points if I view another member's articles, images &/or videos?
3.) Do I earn points if I leave a rating on another member's articles, images &/or videos?
4.) If I own a group, do I earn points each time a Gather member joins my group?
5.) Do I earn points if I join another member's group?
6.) Do I earn points for sending out an invitation to recruit a new member?
6a.) Do I earn points if an invitation is accepted?
7.) Do I earn points when I click on Gather's advertiser's links?
7a.) Do I earn add'l points if I order something from the advertiser's after clicking on their link?
I have decided to post this in a couple of the groups set up to clarify Gather, rather than a personal e-mail to you, because I know a lot of other members are asking the same questions (even if only to themselves). I have, however, sent the link to it, asking you to view the article and answer these questions; so that I know you're aware of the questions. I'm still relatively new to Gather and I'm sure that these questions, in one form or another, have been asked many times by others; and probably responded to in many different formats. However, I haven't found clear answers yet (although I have found a lot of frustrated comments on the subject), so I hope this post will bring clarification to me and other members who haven't found clarification.
Please note that I am not asking how many points (or what %) I earn for each activity, only if that individual activity actually does earn points.
Respectfully,
Tanya P.
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Comments: 25
For me, the "points" are just an extra. I'm in it to talk with great friends and comment on goofy articles, such as JEANZ KRAZY KAPSHUNS. Not a member of JKK? Check it out today. First 10 members to join will get a free, live pony!
Only a few people read my postings, but they really do read them, or at least have some pretty interesting insights. And I stretch myself to check back with people who write poetry (my big interest here) and comment on their work. I've got some points from all of that. I might get a card out of it someday. But my reason for being and staying here is not that, and for a handful of people, I'm part of the reason they stay here. That's a long term thing that Gather can't buy with points, but could lose if they bury us in points-driven nonsense by others.
Thanks, Cheryl. They're simple and direct questions, not meant as a challenge, and I'm hoping to get simple and direct answers to each one. I appreciate you taking time to help find the answers.
even tho i'd also like knowing the answers in the simple way you have laid out, i suspect the complexity of what the site is really after makes it difficult to actually tell you (us) even tho they could, as others have indicated above too.
unfortunately i can somewhat understand the issue from both sides of the coin. still... if you get direct yes/no answers - i too would like to know. i'll still generally respond and post the way i do - which may or may not be the way Gather most wants. i'm sure Gather has to take a lot more than one person's pattern of community building into consideration regarding what they say and how they set up the site.
all of that said... have fun. i think if you have fun here you'll be gaining beyond the points and points will become the bonus rather than the focus.
If I were writing the program, probably not. I do know that algorithms exist which can to some extent tell the difference between sentences and random words...there for a while, I got spam emails that had text pulled from books that were irrelevant to whatever the ad was selling, designed to disguise the purpose fo the email.
So, I assume that the length and perhaps the apparent key words might indicate the "value" of an article or a comment to the Gather servers. Popularity is always a contest on the net, and I am sure that Gather is no different. After all, advertisers pay for clicks, and so the more impressions for a given niche, the more likely an ad will be clicked, and possibly converted.
Director of Member Services, who sent me to Gather's new What's Happening TODAY on Gather! for Friday, October 5th, 2007. On this day, the topic was how points are earned. You have to scroll through the comments to catch all the answers, so I'm going to copy/paste Pam Johnston's (VP of Community Engagement) reply to my own comment, asking additional questions that weren't addressed in the initial article, but are asked in my article here. Here is her reply:
Tanya - I'll try to answer your questions as directly as you asked them, but please keep in mind, the formula to points distribution is fluid and complicated... it's just not as simple as saying "this is how you earn points, do A, B, and C"... your activity on the site is linked together in a complicated manner. That's just the truth of it, so what I tried to do here is tell people what does and does not earn you points... and what violates our Terms of Service.
Question 1: Do you earn points (even a single point) for submitting content
(articles, images, and video) that does not end up getting a single comment (or only 1 or 2 comments)?
Yes. You do earn points by submitting content that only gets a few comments... but not many.
Question 2: Do I earn points if I leave a rating on another member's articles, images &/or videos?
No, you don't directly earn points by rating another members content... but you do earn points by reading and browsing that content.
Question 3: If I own a group, do I earn points each time a Gather member joins my group?
You don't earn points by having members join your group, but you do earn points if people within your group are active and engaged around the groups content.
Question 4: Do I earn points if I join another member's group?
No, you don't earn points by simply joining groups.
Question 5: Do I earn points when I click on Gather's advertiser's links? (I do not mean 'ad slamming', which is clearly and reasonably against
TOS rules.)
No, you don't earn points by clicking on Gather ad links.
Question 5a: Do I earn add'l points if I order something from the advertiser's after clicking on their link?
Nope, you don't earn points by clicking or buying from our advertisers or sponsors.
Hope that answers your questions.
Pam
Pam Johnston VP of Community Engagement, Oct 6, 2007, 10:19am EDT
So, I thank the support staff for more directly answering these questions that have been asked for a long time in a myriad of ways from members!