Snug Gathers Don't Leak

After 24 hours of use of Gather I have earned six Gather points.  I'm going to continue poking around the system but here are my thoughts - many of which I've seen sort of echoed elsewhere.

1. My Eyes Are Bleeding - The preponderance of text on the site makes such a busy, cluttered, visually combative environment that I am encouraged to leave the site.  This is a common theme among everyone I have shown the site to.  Most have to look for about 10 seconds before they find content.
2. My Information is My Own - My repeating Web 2.0 complaint - I don't trust other entities with my information.  This isn't an identity theft issue, it's a value-creation issue.  I want to be able to get to my information and my network because it is mine.  My Network.  Gather and other sites like it want to control your information.  Why?  Because it's their value propostition.  Gather has lofty goals, but in the end I feel like a number in their effort to flip the system and cash out. 
3. Centralized Architecture (Experience) - Gather's centralized architecture rewards inward viewing and an app-centric user experience.  You are staring at Gather much more than you are staring at the information you want.   Why do I want to stare at Gather's obtrusive advertising?  Why do I want to stare at useless tag trees?  Why can't I customize the UI to get rid of the clutter I don't need?  Why does my content get sandwiched in an aesthetically violent way between layers of muda?
4. Centralized Architecture (Control) - Centralizing my network empowers Gather directly and me indirectly.  As I mentioned, Gather gets their headcount to flip the app to another entity.  But, in the end, I get very little for my membership that I don't get already from something as simple as Bloglines.  In addition, if Gather goes down - so does my network.  I'd much rather see someone extend FOAF.   Peer to Peer allows me to retain final control over my identity and my network - applications can still be created to add value to FOAF without being so intrusive.  Hint for Feedburner: here's an opening for a compelling app.
5. Weak Search and Seizure - You can only subscribe to elements within Gather - no RSS inclusion from the outside.  Very Web 1.0, very walled community.  The search engine results in Gather is nestled in the text fog and is hard to read.  Topics are predefined categories that appear arbitrary and forced.  Tags are inwardly focused and vaguely useful.
6. Promise of Payment - You get points for playing the Gather game - which is great.  The description of how to play is vague and unrewarding.  In essence it's, "You get points to do things with and we'll figure them out later."
7. Poor Community Tools - Tools to view your network are poor.  When you invite someone, they receive an invitation - but you receive no screen telling you what invites are outstanding or what the status of invitations are.  Afterwards, people in your network are listed in a plain list - you have no way to categorize, rank or visualize your network.
8. Feeling of Underdevelopment - Using Gather makes one feel a bit uneasy, like you're not sure your pork is adequately cooked.  This ill-ease also detracts from the user experience and evidences itself in many ways.  The poor look&feel, the difficulty in finding things, the low level of intutive design, the utter guess at what your points actually mean.

I understand that Gather received $7 Million in first round funding.

Wow.

Teck-No-Ratti - Web 2.0  Community_indicators Gather Peer to Peer FOAF

Comments

[Edward Vielmetti]

well, that's one more service to ignore.

$7m for crapware - i smell bubble

bubble bubble bubble

[Nir Ben-Dor]

Hello J.Leroy,

In case you are reviewing gather, perhaps you'd be interested in taking a look at comagz.com and Linkadelic Magazine
CoMagz is a collection of community online magazines. The first one, Linkadelic Magazine has just started. CoMagz also gives real commumities their own magazine platform which is driven by the entire community by submission and voting system.

(for proper disclosure, i'm the founder)