by Deborah O.
Member since:
July 12, 2007

Ping or not to Ping

December 14, 2007 04:24 PM EST
views: 106 | rating: 10/10 (26 votes) | comments: 42

Okay, if you have read my postings most of you know that  I am having fun at the expense of Gather's last upgrade. My question is do you think that pinging is a valuable feature or would spell check be more valuable.

I really need spell check

Keep on pinging on ;-o

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Comments: 42

Melanie S. Dec 14, 2007, 4:27pm EST
If you're using Internet Explorer or Firefox you can have a spell checker. There is a thing you can download for it. It works right in your browser. To spell check all you have to do is right click where you're typing and click on spell check. I use mine frequently!

Here's a link for the Internet Explorer browser.. I don't know the one for Firefox.

IESpell
Steph-in-NE ..... Dec 14, 2007, 4:30pm EST
I just want to know when the pong balls will fall,,,, they will you know they will
Deborah O. Dec 14, 2007, 4:30pm EST
hi Melanie, I know about those programs, I am just poking fun at the Gather update however it would be nice to have spell check from Gather instead of pings in my humble opinion
Keep on pinging on ;-o
Sarah McSib Dec 14, 2007, 4:31pm EST
The whole "ping" thing kinda intrigues me. I guess it's like leaving comments on eachother's profiles. *shrug* I just want to know where they came up with calling it, "Ping".
Deborah O. Dec 14, 2007, 4:31pm EST
ping pong, uh....ah../ mmm oh, I get it LOL hahahahhahaha
Keep on pinging on ;-o
Deborah O. Dec 14, 2007, 4:33pm EST
I agree Sarah, ping is really something all together different. Maybe it was a late night for the hackers and too many beers and that is all that could come up with. Just guessing LOL
Keep on Pinging on ;-o
Melanie S. Dec 14, 2007, 4:36pm EST
Yeah Deborah, I agree it would be nice to have a spell checker with-in gather itself. Just thought I'd share the info on the program in case you didn't know.. I don't know what I'd do without mine... except maybe sound like a moron until Gather finally adds one haha.
Umar, Abu Nurain Dec 14, 2007, 4:44pm EST
beers or something else... pinging the bong maybe?
Ellie !. Dec 14, 2007, 5:05pm EST
In Firefox, on a Mac, there is spellcheck worked into this box I am typying in...both spellcheck and typying have red underlines...it doesn't auto correct, but it tells you what you did wrong.
William Dotani Dec 14, 2007, 5:07pm EST
I'm a good speller, so I rarely use a spell checker.
Wilma M. Dec 14, 2007, 5:09pm EST
I don't use a spell checker very often but it would be more useful than the Ping option!
Lynn R. Dec 14, 2007, 5:12pm EST
Well, in my opinion, it's kind of silly. I loved it at first glance. However, isn't that what commenting on the articles and having an email on here is what it's all for? Comment you get points, pinging you don't. Might as well email. It's easier to find the person you are pinging unless you are on their page.

Spell check would be a great option along with different font and color text options when writing an article.

I will probably ping from time to time but I don't think it's needed as much as other options.
WS R. Dec 14, 2007, 5:31pm EST
It's silly. And spell check would be so much more valuable. Yes, yes, you can download such things, but a built-in one would be much easier.
Deborah O. Dec 14, 2007, 5:42pm EST
ping pong
whose there?
Ping Pong
whose there?
Ping pong
Whose there
Orange, aren't glad I didn't say ping pong
Keep on pinging on ;-o
Deborah O. Dec 14, 2007, 5:43pm EST
I know, I know just having some fun, with Pinging
Linda G. Dec 14, 2007, 5:51pm EST
I still use a paper dictionary at times. It works.
Deborah O. Dec 14, 2007, 6:00pm EST
yep, I think I have a dictionary around here somewhere, maybe under the pile of books by the door or yes, that could be it the pile of books by my bed.
Nope not there either, what is a girl to do, need spell check!!!
Marianne M. Dec 14, 2007, 6:32pm EST
Still not too sure about the ping-a-ling-thing . . .
Use Mozilla Firefox instead of Internet Explorer if you want a spell checker.
Deborah O. Dec 14, 2007, 6:54pm EST
Sue B, firefox does not work with my online banking, anyways why can't Gather provide spell check?
Deborah O. Dec 14, 2007, 6:55pm EST
Marianne, ding dong the door bells ring, there is my ping ;0
Actually Firefox will work with anything that needs Exploder. You can download an addon called IETab that allows you to open an IE session in a new tab without leaving Firefox. Very handy for non-standard web sites.
You can still use Explorer for your banking. You can use FireFox for Gather.
I hate spell checks because if I make a typo, and I'm a great speller but a terrible typist, and I type if instead of it, it's not going to correct it.
Curt L. Dec 14, 2007, 7:35pm EST
Ping on, Deborah! Merry Christmas! Have a 10!
Jennifer G. Dec 14, 2007, 7:39pm EST
Having a spell check right on Gather might be easier than downloading a plugin for IE in the short term, but it would only work on Gather. The plugin works on any site you visit.

Maybe you should pester your bank about not supporting all modern browsers. If you ask me, it's inexcusable to have a site that only works on IE. It's one thing to not support older browsers when there are newer versions out (can't wait until IE6 is totally phased out - it has so many bugs that web developers have to work around to get things to display right), but to lock out people who can't use IE (like linux users) is bad business.
Maddie D. Dec 14, 2007, 9:22pm EST
I don't know what the point of Pinging is, so I dont' think i'll be of much help to this discussion. it does seem like it could be a cool feature though, so who knows, maybe later on i'll start pinging people whom I think have cool profiles:).
Lance L. Dec 14, 2007, 10:52pm EST
The term ping as related to internet broadcasting is when the sender, sends a signal usually a single bit of information to locate a receiver that may or may not be known. The term originated from submariners and the way they sparingly use sonar to locate hard to find items in the deep.

Yeah pinging has a value, but its a superficial feature and there are a whole host of ideas that could be better utilized. I would like a profile feature for picking groups to send publications to. I hate selecting every group when I have a half dozen things I want to display..
M.K. Mueller Dec 14, 2007, 11:14pm EST
I'm still really confused. I've read all the comments and I still don't understand what it means. I just got notice that someone posted a "ping" on my profile. What does that mean? Is it something that anyone can see? Is it something I can delete off of there? It doesn't make much sense that someone else can place information that permanently appears with my profile.
Corina Carrasco Dec 14, 2007, 11:15pm EST
Nope. Pinging is trash. I think we can set our profile to not accept pings. Might be an answer.
Lance L. Dec 15, 2007, 2:24am EST
You can delete the pings just as easily as you can delete your own comments and you can set it so don't have to accept them.

The pinging that Gather is doing is more of a single line chat version of what I was talking about. If want to know if your friend is also on Gather, ping them and they can ping back. I've been able to locate when people I want to talk to are on Gather by looking at the time stamps in their comments.
Deborah O. Dec 15, 2007, 3:54am EST
yep, you can do that Lance, I just think that it is a bit redundit.
elizabeth e. Dec 15, 2007, 5:10pm EST
I can think of a whole lot of things I would rather have for Christmas then a Ping.
Karl Leuba Dec 15, 2007, 5:52pm EST
HUH? I missed something here, I use a ping system to keep my computer clock accurate to the nearest half second. What is there to ping on Gather?

By the way the word was coined in the Navy. It refers to the sound of Sonar when it is searching for submarines. The ping is sent out, and echoes back.
Marie L. Dec 15, 2007, 10:36pm EST
I still haven't figured out what the purpose of the whole ping thing is -- but maybe I'm just behind the times :-)
Deborah O. Dec 16, 2007, 4:06pm EST
yep, my pinging days are over, I seriously see no use for pinging except to have fun. But, when I am trying to comment,publish, and create I do not have time for a feature that just doesn't have a meaning
Deborah O. Dec 16, 2007, 4:06pm EST
Marie, you are not behind the times, Gather made up a name for another way to email
Free Spirit or the guy next door ~. Dec 17, 2007, 9:14am EST
A ping from a ding-a-ling, I have a spell checker that when ever I right click and select it it will spell check what ever group is under my cursor. Great for Gather message boxes like this one---bad speller like love it---now will someone explain Ping to me?
El Toro Bravo de Amor Dec 17, 2007, 10:07pm EST
I fail to see its usefulness. Its a "so what?" feature.
The Militant Moderate Dec 18, 2007, 7:48am EST
I couldn't live without spell check. I don't understand pinging.
Ruth Luce Dec 24, 2007, 3:00am EST
I'm with you. I want spell check right here in the box I am typing in. I have it everywhere else and don't want any more downloads. That shouldn't be so difficult. So there. PONG!!
Ruth Luce Dec 24, 2007, 3:01am EST
And I pinged you Ronald, bet you didn't feel a thing, did you?!

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