Let me elaborate the concept of seeds as a "rating" of content with the gardens and flowers imagery in mind.

Example. A pod/group is started by someone somewhere on Gaia, with a simple message, e.g. about relationships. It explores family life. There is a hub on Gaia.com devoted to relationships, represented by (for e.g.) a red colour/flower, like a rose. Someone visits the pod and contributes, while also quickly giving the author a red (rose) seed. Someone else visits, sees the potential, quickly throws the commenter a normal seed and leaves. After a few days, a few more posts appear, the topic is developed. The author gives red seeds to some interesting contributions, the contributors give red/normal seeds to the initial post and comments, etc.

On the pod author's garden circle, which grows greener, a red petal appears in the background: it shows that the user has authored some interesting content about relationships. On his (or her, please ladies excuse my continuous masculine language) "garden page" the graphics shows he has many seeds planted (large garden), and that some proportion of his garden (content) is about relationships. There is a pink/red link to the pod he created, either becoming bigger as it is given more seeds (cloud engine), or just showing in numbers how much roses and other seeds it was given.

Results. The author can thus see himself which of his content people appreciate more, possibly being inspired and concentrating his useful contributions on that area. His friends who really like this user (not because of any glows, but because they got to really know him) are now able to visit his garden and, thanks to vivid imagery and a neat combination of links, go on directly to read and enjoy the best of his content. The new (and old) users are now able to search for "rosy content" on Gaia and find, quickly and easily, both the user and his greatest, most relevant to their search, content. On the "relationship hub" on Gaia.com, the pod quickly moves up the list and gets the spotlight, since all "roses" are in any pod are added together to determine its "red rank". On the community page this topic also becomes popular, since seeds (all types), comments and views are added together to determine "hotness". In the possible event of an article on relationships in a (future) Gaia magazine or a seminar on relationships, this user is specifically invited to contribute, along with other users with "rosy" gardens.

Moreover. No ego boost as the user is not being praised or informed that he is more trusted and respected. Giving flowers (like applause) and giving personal gold medals is different things. So instead, such seeds work as inspiration and useful feedback (since now author sees why he got seeds, yet not from whom). Users may be inspired to give seeds and write interesting, quality posts if this leads to actual aesthetical pleasure of "tending" one's garden, filling it with various different colours, making it look and feel like a little home online, warm and welcoming. Instead of "popular users" somehow having greater power or more important votes, I suggest that users with greater gardens... Simply get more seeds to spend. It is logical: greener gardens, more seeds available to sow. Thus users with large gardens will be able to give two/three seeds at a time, and get their "seed bank" (rename to seed pouch!) replenished by two or more seeds per post. I also suggest that for every three seeds sown, one is added to the seeds pouch, so that people keen on giving seeds don't run out of them so fast. Also, the fact that, to make one's garden and garden circle look nicer one will need to contribute quality content on a wide range of topics, it could be a good exercise and a mild incentive for people to express themselves more, for communities but mainly for their own sake.

Let me suggest how the garden circle could look like, graphically. See below: the circle is green, except for admins for whom it's Gaia-purple. Yes, I suggest that admins should have gardens too, if at least to let us show you how much we appreciate you.

1. 1. Newcomer, no seeds received. Number of posts irrelevant.
2. 2. Newbie, 15 seeds, 7 blue, 3 purple. For flower "glows", glow1 is 3-9
3. 3. 50 seeds, 15 blue, 3 red. 5 purple. Flower glow2 is 10-50
4. 4. 100 seeds, 32 blue, 24 red, 6 purple, 4 violet, 2 yellow (not enough).
5. 5. 125 seeds, 37 blue, 39 red, 9 purple, 5 violet, 5 yellow.
6. 6. 500 seeds (wow!), 79 blue, 112 red, 27 purple, 9 violet, 37 yellow, 31 orange. The largest colour glow, glow3, I suggest is anything above 50.
7. 7. Admin, really into the violet topic. 75 seeds, 52 violet, 12 red, 4 orange.
8. 8. Same as 3, but also a group moderator, distinguished by a purple leaf.

The pictures can be formed by combining two images together, the total seeds base pic (green), and the colour circles layered on top. Such an icon would graphically, explicitly and very quickly say a lot about the user at a singe glance. Note that I strongly believe that the garden level should be based on numerical numbers rather than on comparing the garden to an average (i.e. other gardens), so the garden level never decreases (unless content is deleted, naturally)! Finally, for now it may be best to ditch the colour/flowers part completely and just have the "green gardens", and the more sophisticated aspect could be added later.

Here's a VERY rough sketch of a garden page, accessed by clicking on the garden circle.


And since I drew it, might as well show here a sketch of a garden cirle next to the user's name on the profile page.

I don't understand. What is all this getting towards? Instead of "what can I do for Tibet" I suddenly feel like asking "WHY?". Dear friends, bear with me on this for a second. Remember the last time an issue of "injustice" became widespread? I do. And the issues did not end peacefully. Somewhere, somehow, American troops got involved.

What is this getting towards? What if the government of China DOES NOT give in to international pressure? What if they learned from the west and, for example, decide to label Tibet as a centre of terrorism? Then what? What are we going to do? Join the protesters at throwing stones at chinese embassies? Well done, very peaceful demonstrations. I hope that stones are not replaced with Molotoff Cocktails. But what if they are? What if some American or French or British activist, with deep unconscious resentment of their own government, decides to release their frustration on China, especially if all China will do in Tibet is more violence and suppression? What if Molotoff Cocktails DO start flying towards embassies?

Then what - are we going to go to WAR with China? Let's see... Oppressive leaders - check. People suffering - check. Weapons of mass destruction - ehmmm... check check check!? Do we REALLY want peace to Tibet for such a price?

I'm for a mass (PEACEFUL) demonstrations at the Olympics and running with the torchbearers. It's a great opportunity to try to show humanitarianism and spread the news. I'm for international public forum on devising METHODS of FORCING China to reconsider its tough stance, culturally, economically, politically. But can anyone please explain to me WHY ON EARTH would the despotic Chinese rulers give in to the requests for greater freedoms and transparency and international investigation, etc., and thus factually making Tibet the international public forum  for critics and suffering people of China? Plus release all "terrorist" prisoners? Can you imagine them saying "ok, fine, let's let international journalists into Tibet and let all Chinese people to use the opportunity to let the world know about China's problems"? Somehow, dear friends, I don't think so. This is not the first issue that the international community has condemned China about. We all know China's nasty. Now... let me check where this thing I'm typing on came from. And where this thing I'm wearing while typing came from. And.... Etc.

Ultimately, it's about a public debate on how to challenge, and eventually get rid of, the oppressive communist regime in China. Tibet is not getting independence if the government stays, as "freedom" is not present in their communist dictionary. How do we do that? And why?

Another "why"!? Yes. Why Tibet and not Washington? Is our western "human rights" record a glossy empty white sheet? I'll just throw in that "Guantanamo Bay" thingy and that "over a trillion cost of war" thingy, for example, and humbly remind you about western international conduct. Why not deal with this, with something we actually CAN (potentially) influence directly as citizens, buyers, voters, activists? IF a change of regime is brewing in China, then I PRAY that it will happen from within, and that not a single western paratrooper will set foot on Chinese soil. THIS is what I call for when I say "PEACE FOR TIBET": let's tread lightly here, and sort out our own mess first. First, Tibetians were suppressed. Then, a few protests and international concern arose. Now, Tibetians are killed and hundreds imprisoned. Well done. Peace for Tibet, indeed.

From what I see, Dalai Lama is wise. I hope the Chinese authorities do talk to him eventually, hopefully the PEACEFUL demonstrations of solidarity at the Olympics will help this. He understands the meaning of peace, urging both Chinese and Tibetians to settle down and cool their tempers. Because he knows - where tempers rise, so do the death tolls.

I remember the effectivenes of public protest against the Iraq war in the UK (and the US?). Do you remember the effectiveness of that huge, unprescedented public protest? None. It's a "democratic" state we're talking about that we tried to influence. So now we're trying to influence a totalitarian state, with even weaker voice and arguments. Something tells me we aren't learning the lesson we are meant to learn well enough.

I'm sorry, I'm not going to display the "free tibet" icon. I'd love a discussion about this, but right now I think it's worthless. I signed a few petitions I found and told people around me about Tibet, but somehow it feels like I'm soothing my conscience. It seems I'm deluding myself about some things in this world if I'm displaying such an icon. And I am generally concerned about the effectiveness of our western "peace"-making methodology.