Gather Upgrade-people jumping ship?

Amen. :D

I'm complaining a bit this time(not so much last time), but not leaving. Why would they want to make it HARDER to navigate? I don't mind the advertising, but it should be getting more user friendly, not less.

Once the glitches are worked out and the dang pages load better... traffic should go back up as well

I'm still getting used to this new set up... so far it has it's good and bad. I'm sure it isn't the final solution...lol

Well I'm not jumping ship, we're not even at a port and the water is freezing! That doesn't mean I like all the changes that have been made. That doesn't mean there are not a lot of professional people who have states that some of the changes made were significant errors of design practice (having a tab section with only one tab is one good example). That doesn't mean that a lot of things are simply harder to do, or harder to find, or just not intitutively obvious and that's a bad thing if you want to ring in people who have never used the site before.

I'm not jumping ship, but this used to be a cruise ship and now it's more like an LSD. When are we getting to port, I'm getting sea sick.

It is my belief that more people are leaving Gather not because of the upgrades but because of the ever growing volume of games, whining about points, stupid comments which mean absolutely nothing and the level of articles (there are some exceptions) which puts Gather somewhere below a first grade level. I don't thing Gather was designed to be a lonely hearts club a substitute for medical advise or an outlet for spouse bashing.

It is not the upgrades that are driving writers away it is garbage.

Fred,

I take the opposite viewpoint. People SHOULD complain, whine and moan.

Only by hearing what doesn't work or work well can positive changes be made.

EVERY update implemented by Gather has been followed by a cacophony of complaints and protests of one sort or another. However, in almost all cases these complaints had real merit, and Gather made changes to accommodate these member observations and experiences...causing Gather to be better for EVERYONE.

Therefore, I say "Bi*ch Away!".

Fred, I don't care a lot one way or the other about the changes. Each time they do this they add some new features that are good and change a few things I liked or that were convenient.

There do seem to be some poor choices this time around of things that make no difference to their marketing/new look etc. like eliminating the little green omnipresent mail etc. icons.

We make our gather experience in the groups we populate and gather can't change that, only make it slightly more difficult to get there.

I do agree with Kevin. Part of being sensitive to customers needs is that the customers express themselves. We did get some "roll backs" last time and I think that's healthy.

What's not healthy IMHO is the "gather never listens," "what's wrong with them, even an idiot could see ..." attitudes. That gets no one anywhere.

Very good Kevin~

Kevin, my main point is that people shouldn't "threaten to leave" by way of complaining

that's not the way to get things done

"You can catch more bees with honey than with vinegar"-Dale Carnegie

I'm not leaving, just trying to figure it all out.

Sorry, I haven't been on Gather enough recently: 1 Due to difficulties my ISP was having with telephone lines. 2. Due to my volunteering work. 3. Due to happenings in my community that took a lot of my time. 4. Yesterday, my true friend came home from Indiana sick. She is in the hospital. I alerted most of her friends.
I would not leave Gather as there are too many nice people aboard.

I created this "POST"
because I was getting tired of all the negative things being said

I love gather

i am getting use to it it takes time

exactly, my point

I agree that you should voice your concerns about what you like and don't like, that way they can fix anything that isn't helping. It all just takes some getting used to.

Fred,

I agree...some complaining goes too far and thus becomes less than effective.

More Comment Graphics

Change takes time, I would be surprised if people were really leaving over it, that seems a bit much. I am sure some people really like the new look. Its getting better now that I am learning to navigate it.

I've read the griping for a few days after each upgrade. The one a couple months ago had quite a few detractors. It all calmed down.

Did gather lose a few members? Probably.

Were there some really nice changes? Yes.

Will any of us like every change? No.

Those who stick it out, figure it out. If we look at it as an opportunity to learn something new, we will.

The b**ching , INHO, just doesn't seem "adult". Constructive discussions, even tirades can be great. I just wish we could have the latter.

Thank you for posting to Point Whore! Wishing everyone many, many points!

I'm really frustrated when it bogs down to where it's not usable.

I get frustrated when they move things around every so many months, when I've just figured out where things were, but that's not a huge problem. I do have the capability to learn.

It just makes me nuts when I can't even rate or comment because it crashes. Hopefully that will get better. It seems better today. Yesterday was awful.

every new thing takes time

I hate to see anyone go, but each person has to make their own decisions....:)

What I hate is the slowness of moving between tabs--like "groups" and "friends". If the upgrade is ging to tax the server so much, either get a new server or have a simpler design.

I'm so happy to have found Gather. I've made some very nice friends and enjoy the variety of posts. If you feel in a serious mood, there are politics, religion or economics. When you want to read a story or poetry, it's there too. If a good chuckle or a little game will brighten your day, you can find it. Plus for participating we get gift cards and or cash. Even with the changes, where else can you find all this? I love Gather and I know that in a few days the bugs will be smoothed out.

gee!

I don't jump anything anymore

I'm getting used to it and working to try to figure out why I can't search groups anymore. If I ask Kevin the site wizard he will help us discover the things we can't find.

The first two days were awful - not being able to find Anything and the speed being so slow it would have taken me over 8 hours to comment back to my friends. I waited a day so some of the glitches could be fixed.

The speed is better but i still can't access a search for groups.

I would assume if that is gone, Gather might want to give it back to us. Certainly makes it hard to join new groups as our tastes change here on Gather.

I'm staying - I love Gather too.

Fred, I had rejected your request for a connection because you deleted my comments on a post awhile back. I've now blocked you as a sender of emails. I do not wish to know when you have posted something. I can find what I want to read quite nicely. The feature to delete comments was an addition to this site probably before you joined, so to you, it's status quo. I don't like the feature, but I have my way of dealing with people who use it, as I've stated.

Most of the people here are looking for a social venue, even the ones who claim they are not. That's all fine and dandy, but not my gig, and never has been. Just because one doesn't post games or chats, doesn't make posts about one's personal life and what crap they ate last night for dinner any more interesting to me. Personally, from what I've seen here, it's no wonder the site has reverted to this design. I'm not happy with it, but it's here to stay, and I'll deal with it like I deal with anything else I don't like. I find a way around it or I just ignore it.


Well now, aren't you glad you spammed me?

All social networking sites go through upgrades and changes. They will all continue to evolve as we do. I've learned to expect change (and not just on Gather!) and that makes it easier to handle.

Sue, I am sorry to hear that

You received the email because you belonged to a group that I am the owner of.

http://gathwritinglife.gather.com/

so I did not "SPAM" you I sent out "GROUP" mail

I hope you have a pleasant day
and I am sorry for whatever perceived wrong that I have done you

Sorry.

sorry Im not grown up enough to accept your connection request, because i will continue to whine and bitch. Because gather higher ups are running this site in the ground. I was going threw my connections the other day and noticed I lost over 100 people who have left gather in the last year. These were people whom I really enjoyed their content but just could not take this site anymore. That is a big loss for this community they were a lot of very talented people.

So if you grow up and learn to look at both sides of this then maybe we can connect. But for now I will continue to stand up and yell that this site is going down hill and it needs to stop.

Angela,
my main point is that people shouldn't "threaten to leave" by way of complaining

that's not the way to get things done

"You can catch more bees with honey than with vinegar"-Dale Carnegie

and what connection request?

Did you ever notice that those who are 'going to leave' loudest are those who never actually do?

luv ya Laura
thanks for being a positive voice

I have to agree with John Doyle (I noticed no one addressed what he said) there are a bit to many "games" etc. articles for my tastes. I have been changing my friend settings over to send me e-mail when one of them publishes and article, I have already had to go and change it back for one person because there was just to much of those published by that person.

As to the upgrade. I agree that the use of the word photographs as opposed to images limits content. If I were a painter, I would not want to submit my images into a category called photographs. I find the articles to be less aesthetically appealing. The navigation is much harder. I bookmarked my groups and friends that I visit regularly in IE because it is just to much of a pain now otherwise. One of the writers in one of my groups has decided not to publish on Gather anymore. Something I find most disheartening and sad. And if they were going to fix something, how about the e-mail which gives error messages still when you reply to messages? In addition the humongous ads are really annoying. Do you expect them to increase my desire to click on them because they are huge and flashy and get in the way of the content on Gather? And do you notice that I am bolding certain words here? I am still working through the changes. I am not really happy so far, but I am not leaving.

I haven't had any problems with the new upgrades. It took me a short time to figure them all out, but I think the changes are okay for me, but not for everyone.

Thanks Chana

I came to Gather because it is NOT myspace

Gather is full of adults

but as it gets bigger it picks up a lot of people who are not "grown ups"
slowing the thing down with other "stuff"

I don't belong to any other "Social network"

It's gather or nothing

Fred,
All of my comments have not posted for the last three days!
When I hit the "Submit Button", ALL comments disappear in the article I am on, my comment does not post (even after 3 days), and I am logged off Gather - I must resignon to see "My Gather". If I am completely shutout, then I will leave Gather.
Don't these guys even test this software before releasing it on the public?

I have yet to have a problem
what internet browser are you using?
if it's Internet explorer
then check the "internet settings "
look at the manage add ons button

and maybe the trusted publishers list

also try deleting temporary internet files
internet explorer saves copies of pages that you regularly use

I dumped the whole thing before trying the new gather

"Fred,
All of my comments have not posted for the last three days!"

What's this, a mirage?

Go get 'em tiger! lol

this is the first I've seen your comment
I didn't delete it

Fred, I wasn't talking about this post. The deletion you did of my comments was soon after you joined. I had made some remarks to that "seen your recruiter" jerk, and the comments I made were not lewd nor were they profane. They should have remained.

Everything I have done on Gather after this last change, seem to have worked fine.

However, I did need to know how to read.

a group mail promoting any article is "spam"

You've been here for alittle over three months, you don't know the old gather. So please, don't tell me I can't complain or call me a whiner because I don't like the changes that are turning what used to be a writers site to a "point whores" site. Oddly enough on this subject I completely agree with John Doyle.

You love gather and that's fine and dandy but the reasons that you love it are the same reasons why many of us are turning away.

Sue, once again I am sorry

You say this was shortly after I joined?

And you're still holding onto this.

Best of luck to you
that's an aweful long time to be mad

I am sorry.

Thanks, Apryl.

I said
Stop your whinning (point out the problems in an adult way)

Quit your bitching (about how your time is being wasted)

and grow up! (make suggestions) don't threaten to leave

I didn't say you couldn't complain

And I will fight for your right to do so on any of my posts

I was talking about people who are threatening to leave because they don't get their way

That is what children do, not adults

and just so you know:

This site is driven by advertisements

Not us.

You didn't think Tom was forking over those home depot gift cards out of his own pocket did you?

Ann
I didn't say you couldn't complain

And I will fight for your right to do so on any of my posts

I am perfectly aware of where the gift cards come from and how dollars are generated on this site but I fail to see the connection between the advertisers and mindless drivel.

Haven't butted up against any real obstacles with the new changes, but I have no idea who thought the opening screen with all the rolling, coloured balls was a good idea.

Yech.

Hi Angela M.,

Fred R. has requested to join your group of friends.

this one Fred

oh an laura if your talking about me im not going anywhere. But the sad thing is a lot of people are


And Fred Id like to see the home depot cards go away far away so the point whores would go with them some of us are not here for gift cards

Apryl
that is one of the problems of a "Free" market economy

Now granted, I don't think gather was started to be a point "Whore" site
but with "free" speech comes "free" idiots.

You can't seperate the two.

I have been all over the world
and this is still the best society I have seen

although I wouldn't mind being in Germany for Octoberfest

Only one thing can probably ruin Gather for good and that's if it's all taken over by spam, and that won't happen.

Some "point whores" have learned that complaining can earn points. So dissing this place is sort of a Gather reward.

Nice try at pushing buttons, but people have the right to complain and the right to jump ship. Many writers are not here for the gift cards. My sole reason is to see PJS in a BK hat. You of course can see how disappointed I am recently.

I wonder how many upgrade posts there are now?

I have to stop whining?? WAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Myspace Comments @ 123glitter.com

jummy

Fred Buddy...

"Member since:
April 15, 2008"

TRUST ME ON THIS... we HAVE made suggestions... like maybe THREADED COMMENTS....

and maybe organizable groups, email HOLDING folders.... some of the other things that have been available on blogs for YEARS!?!?

we got pretty much nada.

that said I like the gather folks, understand they are in the middle on this, and try not to give them too much grief...

but it ain't easy sometimes.

me:
Member since: Nov 20, 2005

Thanks doc

I'm a newbie

people always complain about new things Fred, its the way of life for most.

You're right Charles

Two things:

1) ...why do the animal butt people seem to think everything is about them?

2) a group mail promoting any article is "spam" How so?

When the group mail function is turned on, then the function of that group mail is to allow members of the group to reach other members of that group for whatever they'd like to mail other members of the group about. Unless it's against the group rules... how can this be 'spam'? There's even some groups like Gather Broadcast that invite members to use the feature in this manner.

Thanks Laura

I love the chick!
Great way to post about the Gather upgrade again, while also getting points for it. Yes, other people are stupid. At least your gather upgrade whne is about other whiners!!!

Shelley, only about 50, 000 !

thanks Dawne

ok enough