Well, the news is out on the new point system, and there have been several posts on the subject. What I got from Tom's announcement yesterday was pure and simple. Gather wants lots of new original posts, and most any blabbing seems to qualify as original. But on the other hand, they are not interested in anyone viewing or commenting on these new posts. Those who do so are now penalized (or, rewarded) with fewer points than before. Those who have posted their results after day one don't seem to have many smiles in their voices today. Maybe the way to get points is to post and complain how many points you don't get anymore?
After this announcement, I had a strange thought. Ever since the last upgrade, Gather has been terribly slow for me. I asked questions, changed things, downloaded new things, posted my woes, apologized for getting behind, all to no avail. Odd is the fact that I can upload photos and posts and essays with the same speed as before. The problem comes from trying to view YOUR content. It takes forever to load your photos or content, and also to wait for that dumb comment box to open. After a reasonable time, I just exit that persons post and try another. My ability to comment has dropped at least 75%. Now this is due to Gather somehow, not me. I am involuntarilly forced to comment less.
Maybe this is what Gather wanted? Then just a few weeks later, Gather announces that comments are not a good thing, so points for commenting will be reduced. I think my ability to comment was slowed down for a reason. That is my own ORIGINAL OPINION for this post.
I did join that new Gather group to see how they may try to help explain ways to increase your points. If you missed it, the group is earnmorepoints.gather.com
What have you noticed different with the new system?
recommend this
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 51
I've noticed that my points have dropped a lot. I usually post a few photos a day and then I like to read posts and look at other people's photos. I don't know if I'll change my Gathering habits just because I'm getting less points. Maybe I need to start posting celebrity stuff and news stories, in my own words of course. ;) That seems like it's what Gather wants.......
They even said the daily soap opera posts and silly games are 'excellent material"? Who knows what they want.
i have noticed that the site seems to be running slower.
but as a enemy of the new system to begin with, im starting to see the idea in this.
like putting the worst of someting first it will weed out the ones that are just here to click click click and get all the points just for viewing others stuff.
people will still view content to gain the knowlage or insight or just to help each other out, its actually taking out the selfish ones. im going to try to be optimistic about this and see how it goes. after a month or so i will evaluate how things have been going and decide if i leave or not.
untill then ill just put things into perspective and spend less time here and more time on the other things i have been neglecting for gather time
So those groups that demand members to comment on "xx" posts per day will become useless too?
Major increase today...Time will tell if that continues to be the case...as often these changes come with a whole slew of "gather glitches".
My points are down a lot too! I am commenting and viewing as much as before and I posted more than normal today just to see if it made a difference........didn't make a difference at all! I got lots of views and comments on my post and photos but it was not reflected in my points total. I will probably not spend nearly as much time here as in the past.
Same here I did alot of posting and commenting and my pionts have not changed much at all
It's too soon to tell. Ask me in a week:)
Not sure if I have noticed anything different really
I'm with you Dave, not sure if I've noticed much difference. Time will tell is how I'm looking at it right now!
My time on Gather has not changed, my posting (of original stuff) and commenting has not changed. My points? Well, those have changed drastically.
I have noticed today that it is taking much longer than usual for posts and photos to load and I am now having issues with the comment box taking longer to load too. I have not changed anything on my end so it has to be Gather.
This slow down and waiting forced me to comment less.
Can you upload photos same as before (fast)?
No, it is taking more time for me also. I've cleared the cache, have DLS, plenty of available memory etc. Sometimes the photos won't load at all, which is a real pain when trying to view, comment and accept them into my groups. The problem is worse that it was yesterday and it is the only site I am having issues with.
Since the last upgrade, I cannot view 99% of the videos here on Gather.....not on my desktop....no way, no how......the only way I can is if I go into another room, get my "new" laptop out, hook it all up, and then get on Gather and view, view, view.......can't understand why I can on the darn laptop when I can't here on my desktop....guess I'm just gonna have to have two computers running 24/7.....in two rooms....with two desks! Maybe this is just something else Gather has thought of to slow things down, perhaps....who knows?
Whay not just use the one computer that works?
Nope, I won't be spending nearly the time here that I have been.......I do have more profitable programs that take less time and effort, plus my refunding hobby, which is not only fun, but profitable....so, for me, it's not like Gather is the one and only......not for me, anyway!
Ok, I have to ask....refunding hobby??? What's that about??!! lol
I've decide to take a wait and see attitude myself, I really like Gather, I'm not in it for the points, though they are nice. No where else can I see so much variety at any given time.
Yes, the personal content can be more interesting than the news.
I agree with you. The comment box is so slow in opening, sometimes, I get up and do other things before I see it open. I thought it was so the picture or post had time to open, but that's not the case. So here lately, I just move on to the next. If this is because of the new change, that is sad. If I am going to comment it is because I want to comment on whatever it is. I also want the person to know what a good post, photo, etc. they have submitted. So, now I can't do it as often and that Sucks!
Yes, quite frustrating when you CAN'T comment. Much more work, but I have even resorted to emailing that person!!
Good idea, thanks!
Kim, you could also try refreshing the page. I've had times when the comment box wouldn't open, and that stupid circle just kept spinning and spinning. I hit "refresh" and the page opened back up with the comment box open and ready to go.
Yes, points are slower than ever. I got a surprise, though, when I sent my links to places outside of Gather and my points jumped up a noticeable amount in that hour. I think it was the highest jump all day, even though it was a small amount.
I've really noticed that groups are very, very slow. It takes me forever to get to where I want to be in them.
Thanks for sharing your results and findings. I'll be waiting to see if that new Gather Group has anything sensible to say about earnings.
I can't say what I really think because this is not flagged for crude language. LOL. But I will say that I don't see these changes as a good thing. What good does it do to post things if no one wants to view it.
No flag, but I think we hear crudeness!! Your statement seems to be popular: why bother viewing?
I DID NOT see anything that indicated the POSTER would benefit from more views ...... ie; post interesting topics, get lots of readers, earn more points??
I like to comment ,like to talk ,yes ,I know it probably wastes Gather time ! But ,before the change I was still able to get quite a few points in a day ( for me anyway ). I have been unable to get 100 points total ,in 3 days of gathering ! Bummer !
You were doing fine, maybe better than most. I just can't understand a social site that frowns on socializing.
Exactly ! as the little boy says : "that's what I be sayin' "
Its not that no one wants to view it is that it doesn't pay as well now. Personally I only commented on the stuff I really liked anyway.
I didn't comment on EVERYTHING either.
I noticed that the points were reduced with the last upgrade. I went from being able to earn 115 points per day to 68 per day. Now, viewing results in merely one point per hour. Not worth doing, if you ask me. (By the way, they said long ago that comments didn't earn points and that it was the page views that earned the points.)
Posting original content will be the key, but then getting people to read will be important. Posting something to the Gather Essential groups (politics, family, food, etc.) has always achieved the most views from outside Gather. Being published in those groups gets you a higher place in the Google search, which brings in the strangers.
60 points earns you the big dollar! So Gather wants strangers to view so they don't have to pay them anything for viewing. That's real friends and socializing?
That was one of my thoughts, R B, they don't have to pay outsiders, but thn again, they aren't really paying insiders any longer for viewing either. But it must have to do with sponsors wanting more people, not more views.
You're right, by the way, about the pages loading slowly. Sometimes it takes forever to get the comment box to load, and like you, I just give up.
Gather never fails to disappoint. I have never posted comments for points anyway so I will not curtail reviewing other posts. I will continue to give credit where credit is due. I comment because I have found something to appreciate in an article or photograph, and I will continue to do so, no matter what Gather does or does not do! I gave up trying to figure out what Gather is trying to accomplish in early 2008, and I've never looked back!
Its disgusting when you can't even get the post to open to read/see it.
I have a lot of trouble commenting too, as the comment box won't load or the comment won't go after it loads. I have a new computer and high speed connection so I don't think the problem is on my end.
Its not even fun anymore.
The pages open slower for me than they used to. I haven't had problems posting comments or publishing photos. I haven't been on too much recently. The new developments are pretty discouraging.
dramatic drop
Probably true for a good friend and wonderful commentor like you. (and you post pix too).
I guess it's good if you can get out and find things to share with the community. Not everyone can find new and interesting things to post about every single day. I feel if these reduced points for viewing, even quality posts will suffer since the majority of the people will find no reason to view them.
The soap opera blabbers will be happy. Every time they sneeze, pee, see a bug, open the door, answer the phone, go shopping is a ridiculous post. The blabbing is so fast they even contradict their own words.
Gather wants quality content with lots of views to increase advertising rates. But not reward the people who make the content popular.
Yes, I'm a wee bit confused and it isn't due to senility this time.
I don't like it at all. The past month or so almost all I've had time to do was to view my friends' content since I've been helping to care for my father-in-law, and now with the pages loading so slowly I can barely do that. I think my points have increased by about 2 points total since the change. Even when I had more time I never posted more than 2-4 posts of my own each day, and then spent most of my time viewing and commenting. If there is no benefit for my friends or me when I view and/or comment I don't think I'll be hanging around much longer. There's way too many other places to hang out online that are easier to use.
I agree that the site is running slower and that after spending a few hours viewing and commenting, I had gotten less than 10 points (roughly). So many people are so unhappy that I'm wondering when and how this will all shake out.