Three Part Article Structure
What
Describe the idea in depth – the history, the science/evidence and the overall concept.
So What
What does it mean to us at Gather and the wider world?
How are we going to use the innovation?
How is it going to change our lives?
Now What
Now we have the idea and how it can help, what are practical things we can do to implement change in our current practice.
No commercial agendas
If it’s essential to a talk that the writer mentions what they do and describe the businesses that they’re in, they should. But writers should not use Gather to pitch their products or services, plug their books, or ask for funding. While entrepreneurs and business leaders are very much at the heart of Gather, their talk/blog should be driven by an idea and not sell from the site. Gather is not a platform for professional motivational speakers and professional life coaches – it’s a fine line between shameless self-promotion and wholesome self-reporting so, as a rule of thumb, if it feels like an advertisement, it probably is.
No political agendas or inflammatory rhetoric
Politics, social issues, and policy are key parts of the global conversation. However, Gather is not the place for partisan politics, nor for extremist or inflammatory positions. Writers must not attack or advocate for parties, party platforms, and political leaders in their talk. They must not advocate for violence or oppression. Focus on discussing concrete problems and solutions. Special care should also be taken with politically divisive subjects (eg. abortion, gun control) so as to avoid polarizing “us vs. them” language. Instead, writers should focus on consensus-building and nuanced discussion. Consideration should also be given to any content that may carry negative connotations for other parts of our global audience.
No religious agendas
We will not allow anything that tries to prove or persuade the correctness of a single religion, deity or another belief system (such as atheism or agnosticism), whether through rhetoric or “scientific proof.” This includes people promoting new age beliefs, including concepts such as quantum consciousness, Gaia theory, archaeoastronomy, and drug-induced spiritual epiphanies. Writers can be honest about their beliefs, but should not use the stage to promote them or to denigrate those who don’t share them.
No bad science
Science is a big part of the Cambridge universe, and it’s important that we sustain our reputation as a credible forum for sharing ideas that matter. It’s not always easy to distinguish between science and pseudoscience. And the more willing a writer is to abandon scientific underpinning, the easier it is for them to make attention-grabbing claims. This is especially true for items that call on science for support but do not come directly from the scientists themselves.Keep it real, keep it testable and keep it interesting.