Gather Round My Luxury Sub

YOUR OWN LUXURY SUB

Bad weather? Simply close the hatch and dive, cruising effortlessly far below the waves in air conditioned comfort. The submarines’ battery capacity and life support systems allow you to stay submerged for days at a time.

Talk about getting away from it all! Click here. Thanks, Jon Frater.

GATHER ROUND

I did not buy a sub – even the itty-bitty version – because the next thing you know you’re stuck on an underwater ridge off the coast of North Korea with 27 hours of oxygen left, relying on Geena Davis to make a deal with the Chinese to rescue you without touching off nuclear war (and what kind of Internet connection are you likely to be able to get when submersed?).

But, as you know, I did buy a tiny slice of the company that promises to slow my slide into senility (or my money back, less postage and handling); and I did buy a tiny slice of Honest Tea, the company that promises to quench my thirst without high fructose corn syrup or phosphoric acid; and (as really long-time readers know) I did buy a tiny slice of Nunsense two decades ago (can it be?), the off-Broadway smash-hit musical comedy about 52 dead nuns.

And now I have bought a tiny slice of Gather.

I tell you this not to brag. Generally, I lose everything with these adventures. (Did I ever tell you about my oil wells in . . . Ohio?) I just don’t think it’s right to tout something I have an interest in – even if, as with Gather, it’s free – if I don’t disclose my interest.

That said, here is the story of gather.com, as published last night on gather.com by one of its 10,000 members, CEO Tom Gerace:

. . . Gather members live in all fifty states and more than a dozen different countries. Our publishing rate, commenting rate, and invitation rates are climbing each day. The content on the site increases in breadth, depth, and quality with each new member that publishes. And members are connecting with people that share their passions every day. In short, Gather has come alive. . . .

And here is the story as told by the Boston Globe:

. . . A new Boston website aims to bring order to the tens of millions of weblogs proliferating online and provide one-stop shopping for overwhelmed Internet surfers. In the process, it could put some cash in the pockets of Internet scribes pecking away in obscurity. . .

I have no idea whether, at the end of the day, this concept will work. But, still in beta, Gather’s membership is doubling every month. In 16 months, every living human will have gathered – I just hope not all in one place, or the Earth could get wobbly.

Check it out to see if you want to be one of them.