Current status of the Ning Platform is always available on the Ning Status Blog.

Update on May Service Disruptions

Spanning the last few weeks, Ning Networks across both our 2.0 and 3.0 platforms have experienced sporadic access and connectivity issues.  These issues have had two causes:
 
1.  High Loads on Specific Server Clusters:  During specific networks’ peak loads, the cluster of servers housing those networks can be unable to process new customer requests in a timely manner, resulting in timeouts or 500 errors.  These networks have been identified, and we’re working with those Network Creators to better manage resources during these peak loads.  We are also implementing system changes on our back-end to reduce the likelihood of this occurring in the future.
 
2.  Scheduled Back-end Maintenance:  As a result of some Network Creators running into issues connecting to their networks or any other Ning Network or Ning.com while traffic was being routed through one of our primary internet service providers (ISPs), we switched providers to ensure access for all of our Network Creators.  Back-end maintenance scheduled to switch from one service provider to another resulted in the outage seen on May 13.  While our on-call team restored service, some lingering, albeit intermittent, connectivity issues remained for some Network Creators.  Currently, you may see these issues manifest on your network as uploaded images not saving, members being unable to sign in, posts or changes not saving, slow loading, or delayed or missing notifications/messages.  
 
Once these issues are resolved, we’ll continue to closely monitor the system to ensure there aren’t any further connection issues.  During our next back-end maintenance window, we will implement additional configuration enhancements to ensure peak platform performance.  Should any of this back-end maintenance work have user-facing effects, we will notify you of the maintenance window, scheduled during low traffic hours, as we have done in the past.
 
We understand how important platform performance and uptime are for you and your members, and we apologize for the impact and scope of the disruption of service the past few weeks.  Our engineers have been working tirelessly to resolve these issues, and we appreciate your continued patience as they continue to do so.  
 
We’ll be updating here as we have new information to share and hope to have everything completely resolved soon.

Update 5/26: Our engineers have resolved the larger network issues due to the ISP switch, so you’ll now be able to add images/files, sign in to, save changes and posts on your network. Outgoing messages and notifications are no longer held up or delayed. Our team has also resolved the separate issue of intermittent 500 errors. We’ll continue to make back-end improvements to prevent similar service disruptions in the future. If you’re still seeing any error messages on your network, please don’t hesitate to submit a ticket from your Dashboard or here.  

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  • NC for Hire

    only close to 30 of these networks still exist.

    • I'm on my way to a new WordPress site, but still having difficulty archiving. :(
      • From what I'm being told, the members and blog with flow over but everything else has faulty json code.  Thanks for nothing Ning.

        • Yep.  I've had to bring in 3rd party developers to sort out what Ning calls an archive.  It's virtually useless.

          In the corporate world, they call this kind of functionality "stickiness."  It's really hard to leave when you can't get a decent export.  You're alternative?  Find a company that cares and rebuild your network from scratch or rebuild everything you've worked so hard for on a brand new platform.

          In all seriousness, I was, at first, blown away by Ning's total disregard for it's clients.  Now I understand.  It's part of their business plan:  "Don't worry about your client's satisfaction, it's nearly impossible for them to leave so it's nearly impossible for clients to stop paying."  Kudos Ning!  You are now on par with Comcast's customer service!

          • Chad that's an awful statement but it has to be made and I totally agree with you. We're being held captive and paying our own ransom in a monthly fee.

            • I apologize for the tone.  It's just that I've tried everything under the sun and gotten now where.  Now, I'm spending $1000's of dollars and I can't even get them to reply in any useful way to support requests.

              I'm really a nice guy and notoriously patient :-)  I just had to voice my heart felt consternation with what used to be such a great company.

              • No no, I support your tone! There is a time for anger and indignation and that time is here.
  • I have to chime in here.  I've been with ning since 2009.  I have always been very happy with Ning until the year or so during which support has degraded to slightly below an amateur level.  Let me give you just a few examples:

    1. Average reply time to a ticket submission, several days.
    2. Average reply time to a ticket update, 1 to 2 weeks.
    3. Standard reply to ticket "We are unable to replicate this issue, please try again."
    4. Average percentage of issues resolved satisfactorily, less than 5%.

    Let me give you an example from ticket 1786823.  We have been using jquery/js validation via css on several forms that are critical to our revenue model.  They stopped working immediately after the great crashes of the past month.  The conclusion of the support team was to contact our developer as nothing had changed on Ning's side so please contact our developer.  I can share server logs showing that none of the files in question have changed in two years.  I explained this to support.  They repeated that nothing was wrong on their end.  Great, I said, "can you escalate me to tier two?"  They reply, "no as there is no problem on our end."

    The bottom line here is that there appears to be little concern for the "PRO" clients of Ning.  Folks, they have us so far in bed that we can't just jump up and leave.  Ning knows this as evidenced by the faulty export tools they offer.  Ning is relying on the pain required for us to move our sites being greater than the pain of living unsupported by what was once a great company and platform.

    While I'm confident that nobody higher up in the company will read, care, or reply to this, I just wanted to share with you my disappointment in Ning.  I truly thought that I had partnered with a company that cared.  I regret my error in judgement.

    Let me conclude that I understand the pain of catastrophic failures.  I've been a CTO and large business owner for over 20 years.  I get it.  I understand what it's like to have all hands on deck and not be able to fix something as soon as you'd like.  What I don't understand is the placating and aloof demeanor of today's Ning.  At this point, I'll just continue to pay my bill and hope that Ning finds it in their hearts to give me what they want, when they want, as they want, and of any quality they want, while I continue to be truly grateful to even be allowed to be a customer of such an amazing company.

    Please consider this an open challenge for any member of management to give me a call to discuss.  I'll pay for your time.  I just want to see a sign that anyone there cares.

    Sincerely,

    Chad

  • And after much frustration... with KOS and I  trying to merge, move and or other wise DO something, ANYTHING on ANY other platform- It simply can't be done!   You cannot move your existing site and expect it to be the same...MY $99.00 to Joomla went down the drain.... as well as Word press,, BB press, Buddy Press, and others The tools do not function to archive and import- Period! My son in law who is a programmer has said he thinks the codes are deliberately screwed up- he took a look at Nings code and as you know code must be perfect- well it is NOT - he said missing comas, dots, dashes, letters are the problem- he had actually begun undertaking the daunting task of fixing Nings code knowing that if he could perfect it many would love to have it...

    I came here to see if there is anything new and NOPE it is the same old thing... nothing but complaints, with no real answers...

    My bottom line: Is Ning going down the drain? Seriously, are we going ot wake up one day and our sites will be gone? Or do you think Ning has simply downsized, and/or because of all the complaints we do not receive the help we so badly want?

    As we all experience in every venue out there- customer service is a thing of the past!  As an example of how bad off-shoring customer service -It took us 5 days on the phone to get a new ATT residential  service- I actually had to call the person directly under the CEO to ATT to get a phone...

    Has anyone here found any useful information?  If not why aren't we sending mass mailers to the top to get some answers?

    Thanks, Suzie

    • NC for Hire

      The tools do not function to archive and import- Period!

      This should be edited to "The tools 'I've tried' do not function to archive and import - Period!" Given what Paul has said the earlier statement could be potentially viewed as misinformation and misrepresentation which I am sure are sensitive topics convered on your site. :-). This may just be a case where frustration has not kept pace with your effort to find a solution. You'll have to try a little harder before give a final verdict.

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