In lieu of recent events...a GATHER related repost

As you explore the pages within the Gather community, you find great diversity. Someone took expressive adjectives that perfectly convey their perception of those fantastic fall leaves and wrote a short story. Someone else, used film and a cheap camera to achieve it. Still another, found they could do the same using 3 lines and seventeen syllables, in a beautiful Haiku.

A few more pages brings you to someone writing about their bad day at work. How their children are driving them to the verge of insanity. Further in, you find someone asking for advice with a life choice. Another reveals a wonderful recipe for southern biscuits. Search around a bit more, and your bound to run across that political rant, that someone who is just plain pissed off about society's viewpoints. Another will expose the deepest thoughts that run on the verge of suicidal, from some lost soul who has found a place to search within themselves long enough to maintain the borderline. Others, will show you just how juvenile adults can sometimes be. Or how much they just like to laugh.

It seems lately, that if you 'troll' around Gather, you also find many, many pages of heated debate. Debates on every subject imaginable. Debates can be wonderful things. They are a way to hear another's viewpoint. Some of those viewpoints can seem quite silly, others seem sincere. Either way, they can be learned from. But, one argument that seems to be finding it's way into a lot of comments, as well as articles, is over this diversity found on these pages.. It seems some people feel that Gather should be for artists only. I used the term artist due to the inclusion of photography as apparently acceptable Gather material amongst these folks. These self proclaimed authorities, feel that somehow written word must be done so only by 'authors' in order to be considered literature. That if you simply write about your day, or something that you find humorous, it somehow, isn't appropriate here. That if you simply are angry about immigration laws or our idiots in office, that you must find another location to do it. Gather just isn't the place.

Mr. Webster defines art as the conscious use of skill and creative imagination . I think all of the topics mentioned above fit that description. Conceptual art, as he sees it, is an art form in which the artist's intent is to convey a concept rather than to create an art object. I do believe that they would fit that definition also. He also defines literature as writings in prose or verse. Prose being, according to him, the ordinary language people use in speaking or writing or a literary medium distinguished from poetry especially by its greater irregularity and variety of rhythm and its closer correspondence to the patterns of everyday speech. The articles I have found within Gather pages certainly encompasses that illustration. Interestingly, he doesn't mention the necessity for any type of accuracy in spelling nor in grammar however. I find that a significant piece of my puzzle. Several of the said 'authorities' seem to spout these items as some sort of verification of their claims that you aren't worthy of Gather pages. After all, if you were an 'author' by definition, surely, you would know how to spell.

Gather is a melting pot of minds. A place where you can experience culture, viewpoints, and personalities. A place where you can experience life. Sometimes, even a life that you don't personally get to live. The main goal of every human on this earth, by the very nature of being, is to live. Gather.com's homepage states when describing itself "Who belongs on Gather? Everyone -- from professional authors to first-time writers, photographers to bloggers and beyond. Gather is a place to connect over common interests and passions, to engage in dialog or share different viewpoints". These Gather veterans [authorities?] want to tell people why they shouldn't be able to do this, the very thing that Gather says they are supposed to do. I guess that's just one debate, I'll never understand. To me, one of the sillier ones that I mentioned earlier...

Mr Webster was a smart man. It's a shame that he isn't able to be a member of Gather's little world. I think he would have enjoyed it, it's a wonderful place. I also think several members could benefit from hearing his opinions. Or, maybe he doesn't even need to be. I think it's actually, entirely possible that somehow ~they just did...

*MSG FROM WENDY WORLD*

(as also stated in PART II)

 The childish behavior I have seen recently boggles my mind. If everyone would accept that not everyone will always see 'eye to eye', Gather could be a much better place. There is no need to attack...There are just those times when people need to 'agree to disagree' and move on...

I think this is one of them.

*Wendy World Disclaimer*

my opinions...whether you like it or not, I am entitled to them.